Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Trixie Decker-Espinoza didn't like her mom's new boyfriend – fiancé, now, unfortunately. It'd been very quick, even she could tell, but she could admit that she didn't know for sure when they had started seeing each other. Not that she had told her mother that she didn't like the man... She had been glad to see her mother happy again, and he had seemed to be the reason. Of course, she had told her mother she liked him for that reason, but that was before she had actually met the man.

She didn't like him. Not. At. All.

Sure, she supposed that maybe he was a good person, and that her mother liked him, but she didn't. He treated her like a kid. Sure, she was a kid, but he didn't have to be so condescending about it! She wasn't four. He – Pierce, and wasn't that fitting since he had rudely pierced into her and her mother's nice, comfortable life – didn't seem to realise that though. He spoke to her in that way that her teachers did when they asked you what you had done at the weekend: like they had to ask, but they didn't really care.

So, in summary, he was an ass – and her mother didn't know she thought that, or she'd be in trouble for swearing.

She couldn't put her finger on any particular reason, but something about him just seemed...wrong, at times. It wasn't always, but there was something almost fake about him. Her mother believed he was a good man, and Trixie didn't really have any reason not to believe her, but still. She didn't trust him. Maybe he just wasn't good with kids. But Lucifer didn't like kids, and he was fine. Trixie far prefered him, to be honest – in her mind, there was no contest. Truthfully, she had thought her mother would date Lucifer – they both liked each other, and had seemed so good together! But Lucifer hadn't been around much, lately. She missed him, but, when she asked her mother about seeing him, she was brushed off. She knew her mother didn't mean to, but Trixie missed her friend.

Adults were so stupid, sometimes. Why couldn't they see what seemed so simple to Trixie?

Currently, Trixie was sitting at her mother's desk at the precinct, waiting until Mom was ready to go. She had left her there a while ago and hadn't been back, and Trixie was getting bored. She had a comic book with her, but she'd already read it all, and flicked through her favourite parts again twice . Her mother thought it was weird that she did that with her reading material, but Trixie thought her mom was weird for not doing it. Why shouldn't she go back and read scenes she'd liked – or, if she'd been thinking about specific scenes, why shouldn't she read them again, without reading the whole book? Trixie liked her way, thank you very much. She read the books entirely, of course, but she was appreciating it more when she went back and read bits over again! It was a sign that she was showing her appreciation, Mom ! Trixie giggled to herself: Lucifer didn't think she was weird for it at all. In fact, when he had overheard her and her mother talking about it once, he had admitted to Trixie that he sometimes did the same. And Lucifer never lied, so he must have been telling the truth!

The girl sighed, kicking her feet as she sat in her mother's desk chair quietly. Bored... When would Mom be back? She'd been gone ages... She'd seen her head to the Lieutenant's office with some paperwork, but it had never taken her this long with the old Lieutenant... Trixie pulled a face: they were probably making kissy faces and talking about naked stuff like adults did. Gross.

A familiar though muffled laugh made her look up, through the window of the forensic lab. Lucifer! She could see his outline through the blinds, along with the nice forensics lady who had come by her house a couple times – they had the same sushi shirt! Trixie liked her. Springing up, she hesitated a moment before rushing to them. She wasn't supposed to wander around the precinct without an adult... But it was Lucifer and Ella! Her mom's friends, and they were really nice.

Shrugging, the child decided she might as well. The lab was easily visible from her mother's desk, and she had missed Lucifer: it had been ages since she had seen him. 

Pulling open the door to the lab, she was greeted by laughter quickly cutting off in surprise as she entered the room. "Hi Lucifer!"

"Er, yes – hello, Beatrice." He looked mildly disconcerted as she didn't immediately tackle-hug him, but she was a big girl now and hadn't been doing that as often. Anyway, she was staying in the doorway currently – at least then she wasn't quite as close to breaking either of her parents' rules.

"Hi Trixie," Ella smiled warmly, looking pleased to see her. Trixie liked Ella, though she hadn't really met her often: she was always so sunny and fun. "How are you?"

"I'm good," She chirped, smiling back at the pair. "Hungry, though." She admitted, looking down, and Lucifer's eyebrow arched.

"Well, what are you still doing here? Doesn't your mother usually feed you by now? Or are you with Daniel tonight?"

Trixie shrugged, looking up and up and up at him – he was so tall! She liked it in Lucifer, but not so much in Marcus... "No, I'm with Mom. She said to wait at her desk and she'd be back in a minute and we'd go get food, but that was ages ago. I think she went to see Pierce."

Ella squeeed in obvious delight, but Lucifer snorted. "In with that dullard, is she?" It didn't really sound like a question, but Trixie nodded anyway. He hesitated a moment, but then sighed. "Alright, child. Your mother will be annoyed, but when isn't she these days." Trixie frowned at that: her mom had been happy, she thought – it was why she hasn't said that she doesn't like Pierce. "Come on, then. I'm meeting my brother out for dinner soon; we could ask if you can come, if you like?" 

She lit up, nodding eagerly. She didn't know Amenadiel well, had only met him a couple of times, but the thought of going out to dinner with Lucifer – of getting to spend some time with him – sounded very appealing. 

"Very well, come along spawn." He ushered her out of the lab ahead of him, calling back a goodbye to 'Miss Lopez' as they went.

He strode towards the Lieutenants office, and knocked firmly once before thrusting the door open and striding in, Trixie at his heels.

"Lucifer!" Chloe scolded/yelped as she sprang apart from Marcus, where they had been making out at his desk.

"Yes, hello," He said coldly, sounding far from amused. He continued before she could start berating him, as she was clearly winding up to do. Pierce looked none too pleased either. "Your spawn is hungry, so, while you're distracted with this dullard, I said I could take her to get something. Yes? Good."

And he made to close the door, ushering Trixie out again. Chloe hadn't even noticed her daughter enter with him, and scrambled out of Marcus' arms as she did, rushing out after them. "Hey!" She called, "You can't just take my daughter!"

Lucifer turned back to her, still radiating that coldness. Trixie didn't know what was going on between him and her mom, but she didn't much like it. "Oh? The daughter you left hungry out here while you went off to sex your criminal boyfriend? That daughter?" Criminal? Huh?

Chloe flushed an unattractive red. "Marcus. Is. A. Good . Man, Lucifer!"

"His parent-teacher conference would disagree, I assure you. But we digress. Your daughter is hungry, and I am offering to take her to get some food. As a consequence you are free to spend some more time with your beau, displaying some stunningly poor character judgement. So do you want Beatrice fed, or not?"

Chloe was fuming, but knew she was at least a little in the wrong here since she had left her hungry daughter to make out with her wonderful boyfriend... His arms were distracting, OK! "Of course I want my daughter fed! But not by you! You'd probably take her to...to...to a strip club, or something!"

Trixie frowned up at her mother. "Lucifer said he was meeting his brother for dinner already, Mommy. Can't I go? Please ? I'm really hungry." 

Chloe arched an eyebrow, unimpressed, but caving slightly at the pout on her – hungry – daughter's face. "You're taking her to dinner with Amenadiel? At a strip club?"

Lucifer snorted, disgusted. "You said a strip club, Decker; I said no such thing." Decker ? He had never called her mommy that around her before... "As I am meeting my brother – no, not Amenadiel – and his six year old daughter, no, it is not a damn strip club. We're going to a perfectly respectable diner, I assure you."

Chloe looked surprised. "You have more than one brother?"

Trixie noticed that now Lucifer was starting to look annoyed... "It's like talking to a wall. How many times? I have many ." He scoffed, clearly irritated. Chloe didn't see why though: sure, he'd mentioned having siblings before, but she had always just brushed that off as his delusions. " This one I actually like. So. Can the Spawn come, or not?"

Chloe looked torn. She hadn't met this brother, but, if he had a daughter, she assumed he wasn't too like Lucifer (unless he knocked up some poor woman...). "You want to take my daughter to dinner with your whore brother and the result of a one night stand?" She didn't realise quite how harsh she was being – and in front of Trixie, no less – but this was, unfortunately, what their relationship had devolved into recently. 

Lucifer's eyes flashed in anger, but he managed to keep any light that would otherwise have appeared too – whether Hellfire or Heavenly – at bay. " No , I am offering to feed your child – whom you appear to have forgotten is hungry – while I meet my tolerable brother and his child and his long-time partner and mother of said child for dinner at a diner that is frequented by many families. If, however," And here he shrugged dismissively, clearly still annoyed at her, "You would rather Beatrice continue to starve while you finish the paperwork you were going to be doing before you got distracted, I can just as easily go without her. I would have thought, however," Here his voice could have frozen Hell over, it was so cold. "You would have bothered to ask what your daughter wants. She is, after all, right here."

Chloe sighed, blushing slightly at how rude she had been towards his family at his correction (she didn't even know he had another brother, not to mention any extended family; it wasn't like he ever talked about his family outside his crazy, ridiculous metaphors anyway), gave a defeated sigh and turned to her daughter. "I'm sorry, Monkey – really I am. Paperwork took longer than I thought –"

"I saw you kissing, Mom." The girl replied flatly, arms folded tightly across her chest. 

Chloe blushed slightly, as usual caught off guard as her little girl showed that she wasn't so little anymore. She was eager to meet the person her grown-up daughter would become, but at the same time she didn't want her little girl to grow up – as was the same with most parents, she assumed. "Sorry, baby." She sighed, glancing up at her partner...whom she really hadn't been working with all that often. Their friendship was falling apart, and she hadn't even noticed at first. Now, though... Well, that was a question for another time. "I'm really sorry I'm taking so long, Monkey, but I do need to get this paperwork done." She glanced back at Pierce's office, where the stack she had been intent on finishing up lay abandoned in consequence of their more amorous activities. "Do you want to go with Lucifer for some food?"

Trixie nodded firmly. "Yes."

Chloe sighed. "Alright then." She straightened back up, and looked up at Lucifer. "Fine, she can go with you. But I want her home by eight, alright?" It would have been earlier, but...some quality time with Marcus? Yes please.

Lucifer nodded. "Naturally. Come along, Spawn. We'd better be going."

Trixie hugged her mother goodbye, and then followed after Lucifer, restraining – with some small difficulty – from taking his hand. He may be voluntarily(ish) spending time with her, but she knew not to push it too much so soon.

Curiously, she noticed that her mother and Lucifer barely said goodbye to each other, if they even did. Huh. What on earth was going on there ? She wasn't stupid, she had noticed that Lucifer didn't like Marcus. Maybe that was it... Marcus had been cutting in recently on her own time spent with her mother – butting into dinnertime, and such like – but she suddenly wondered what it was like for Lucifer. The pair worked together, she knew, but then why had Lucifer been with Ella? He hadn't even been around when she had first come into the precinct. She hoped they would be alright... She was still holding out some (small) hope that her mother and Pierce would break up, and that Mom would come to her senses and see that she loved Lucifer. Trixie didn't know much about adult things, she could admit, but she could see when two people loved each other, as the detectiving pair clearly did. Or, had, anyway...

Still, she thought happily, looking up at Lucifer as he led her out to his corvette – and she would be getting to ride in it again, so cool! – parked in the parking complex. At least she was getting to spend some time with him this evening, even if they were meeting others. She had to admit, she was curious about this brother: she had assumed he meant Amenadiel, but, apparently, that was not who they were going to see.

***

The fast ride in Lucifer's convertible was as amazing as always, and they didn't talk much; preferring to enjoy the ride, and the wind in their hair as Lucifer whizzed down the roads – more often than not ignoring the speed limits, but Trixie certainly wasn't going to tell anybody. She knew he was being more careful than usual since she was there with him anyways.

Eventually they reached the diner Lucifer was meeting some of his family at, and he opened the door for her to hop out after parking. It didn't look like a great neighbourhood, and Trixie stuck close to his side. Not that it was a bad one, either: more...middling, verging more towards the bad side of the spectrum than the good. It certainly wasn't upscale wealth, she decided, and left it at that: not the kind of place most people would expect Lucifer – with his designer suits and hoards of cash – to frequent. 

"Ever been to Mike's?" Lucifer questioned, holding the door to the small diner open to her and, upon receiving her head shake in reply, gasped in mock horror. "Spawn, you are missing out! Prepare to be educated." He intoned gravely, and she giggled, grinning up at him as he smiled down in reply, amused. 

They both looked up as a man approached, smiling broadly. "Lucifer! So good to see you!" The man clasped Lucifer's hand warmly, and Lucifer grinned wryly back.

"Hello, Mike. Are the others here yet?"

Mike – the owner? Trixie studied him curiously, liking his smiling, jolly face – grinned. "Yep – at the booth in the back. Got here about ten minutes ago. Wow, your brother looks like you!"

Lucifer laughed at this, amused at the man's gobsmacked expression. "Yes, I know. Don't worry – our siblings can't tell us apart either." He was still grinning at the man's obvious surprise, and he received a sheepish grin in reply.

"Fun childhood," He remarked, then smiled down at Trixie. "And who is this little lady?"

"I'm Beatrice, but everybody calls me Trixie," She replied promptly, sticking her hand out to shake.

Mike chuckled, reaching out to shake her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Trixie. I'm Mike – this here's my diner. You order what you like – it's on the house!" He glowered at Lucifer as he said this, switching his focus from child to adult. "And I mean it this time, Lucifer! On. The. House!" 

Lucifer chuckled. "It's customary to leave a tip, Mike, especially if you insist on feeding me for free."

Mike snorted, and turned a conspiratorial look to Trixie. "You'll remind him, won't you Trixie? I try to do something nice, but he just keeps paying me!" He whispered over dramatically, and she giggled again. She was liking this place.

"OK." She whispered back through her giggles, and Mike straightened back up, grinning broadly at her. 

"Glad to hear it, Miss. Now: you'll be wanting some food then?"

She leaned in. "Do you have chocolate cake?"

"We do indeed, and damn fine chocolate cake at that if I do say so myself."

She turned sparkling eyes up to Lucifer, forgetting momentarily and grabbing onto his hand. "Can we get some? Please, please Lucifer, can we get some chocolate cake?!"

Lucifer snorted, amused, but didn't immediately shake her grip off, which she counted as a win when she realised what she'd done. "We'll see. You need to eat some real food first. Come: let's go sit down."

Mike gestured them on back, smiling at Trixie in farewell, and together they made their way to the big back booth where three people already sat, Mike leaving to return to the kitchen.

Trixie couldn't help but stare as they approached, when Lucifer smiled up at them from the booth...and by her side.

"Uh..."

The Lucifer by her side looked down at her, amused by her reaction as his niece threw herself at him. "Uncle SATAN!" He chuckled, catching her and hugging her before dropping her back down next to her mother.

"Hello, caraid." He grinned down at Beatrice beside him, who was looking between him and his twin in amazement. "Beatrice, this is Arianwen, Muireann and my brother, Michael."

"Pleasure to meet you, Beatrice," Michael's eyes laughed over at her, and she found herself grinning back.

"It's Trixie – only Lucifer calls me Beatrice," She said, happily sliding into the booth next to one of her favourite people after he had slid in beside his brother. "Nice to meet you all,"

Arianwen smiled. "And you, Trixie. How do you know Lu, then?"

"He's my friend," She chirped, "He works with my mom."

"The detective?" Michael arched an eyebrow, and she nodded cheerfully.

"Uh-huh."

"Still displaying some stunningly poor character judgement?"

"Engaged to the prat now." Came the reply, and Trixie frowned.

"You mean Mr. Marcus?" She asked, aware that the little girl – Muireann, though she'd never heard a name like that before, nor Arianwen – was studying her as she played with a sugar packet next to her mother.

"Mm, him ." Lucifer replied.

"How come you don't like him?" She asked, accepting a glass of water with a smile and small thank you as Arianwen poured some extra for her and Lucifer. 

"Because I know who he really is." Lucifer answered shortly. "Unfortunately, your mother refuses to listen. She thinks he's a 'good man'." He snorted contemptuously at this, and Arianwen shook her head in disgust.

"You've worked with her for almost three years now, how the hell is she still this dense?"

Lucifer chuckled darkly. "Willful ignorance or plain stupidity, at this point."

"And...why do you still work with her?" Michael asked hesitantly, while Trixie frowned: she didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but it sounded kinda insulting towards her mom. And no-one got to insult her mother.

Lucifer sighed, reaching into his jacket and taking out his flask, taking a swig of his 'adult juice' as Mommy called it – Trixie knew it was alcohol. "To be honest, I've been wondering that myself." He admitted quietly, and Trixie's eyes widened.

"You don't want to work with Mom, anymore?!"

He shrugged, looking down at her as he handed her a menu, perusing one himself. "I don't know. Before, she was a good person, and I liked working with her. Now? I don't know, Beatrice."

"Mom is still a good person!"

"I didn't say she wasn't. But she has changed, and not for the better. And to be honest, I'm getting sick of everything I say being brushed off or laughed away as delusions or metaphors."

Trixie swallowed thickly. "Mommy doesn't believe you're the devil?" She asked in a small voice, and he looked down at her, eyes suddenly looking far older than usual.

"No, she doesn't. Do you?"

"Of course!" She replied, indignant. "You said you are, and you never lie! And I saw your eyes when you scared my bully."

Lucifer fumbled his glass of water as he went to take a sip, barely managing to save it in time from spilling anything anywhere. "You saw ...? And you're still here?!"

She cocked her head to the side, a habit she had picked up from him. "Why wouldn't I be?" She pointed out reasonably. "You're my friend. And so's Maze."

"...and you know we're not human?"

She giggled. "Of course, silly. Why would that matter?"

He shook his head slowly, looking shocked and full of wonder at the same time. "For most of your kind it does," He said quietly, before gracing her with a real smile, one of those ones that were very rarely seen by anyone . "You are truly remarkable, Spawn."

Trixie grinned up at him in delight as he smiled down at her, a new appreciation for the little minx bubbling up inside of him. Something then occurred to the girl. "Are you guys humans too then?"

She looked curiously to Lucifer's brother, who laughed. "No, little one – none of us are. I'm an archangel, as Lu's twin."

"You guys are twins?" She grinned up in delight, and Lucifer arched an imperious dark eyebrow at her.

"You didn't guess?" He asked dryly, and she giggled.

"You might not have been." Her smile turned mischievous. "So who's older?"

"I am." Came two replies at the same time, and Trixie grinned while the brothers fake-scowled at each other, before chuckling.

"We were created in the same moment," Michael elaborated, "But truthfully, chronologically Lu's older."

Trixie turned to Lucifer in confusion, and he shrugged. "Time runs quicker in Hell than on Earth and in Heaven. I've been alive for a greater number of years."

Trixie's tummy flopped funnily. "Like...a lot quicker?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know. She'd never really thought too much about what her friends lives would have been like before they came to Earth a few years ago, except from comments Lucifer and Maze had made over the time she had known them...

"Fairly, yes," He replied dryly, before changing the subject. "But Ari and Muireann aren't human either."

Trixie brightened up, turning to the pair across from them. "Are you angels too?!"

Arianwen laughed softly, smiling at the girl in front of her. "No, we're not angels."

"Mummy's Y Tylwyth Teg," Muireann piped up, grinning broadly. 

"...huh?"

Arianwen chuckled. "I'm fae, child. One of 'the fair folk'." 

Trixie's eyes lit up. "Cool! Like a fairy?"

Michael snorted, grinning at his partner in amusement. "Not what people think of fairies as nowadays, no." He leaned over to peer at her. "She's not tiny with wings, as you can see." He drolled, and his partner slapped his head where he was leant over the table slightly. 

She smiled at Trixie, continuing to explain. "I'm from Wales – in case you hadn't guessed from the accent," She added with a grin. Trixie hadn't, never having heard an accent like hers before, but she opted not to admit that. "Typically we’re thought to have fair colouring, but, as you can see," She gestured to her dark curls with a grin. "I'm something of a misfit with how mythology remembers us,"

Trixie nodded seriously, even though she didn't really know much about what they were talking about. She would be consulting google extensively later, perhaps. "And Muireann?" She blushed slightly as she knew she had butchered the name, giving them an apologetic glance.

Arianwen smiled patiently. "Muireann." She corrected gently. "She's half and half," She grinned down at her young daughter, who made a face but smiled back. "So far we're not entirely sure what all she can do – we'll have to wait and see!" She gave her daughter an excited tickle-hug, causing the little girl to squeal and giggle, leaning into her mother's side with a grin as she was released.

Trixie's eyes were huge. "So you all have... powers ?"

Michael arched an eyebrow. "Well, yeah." He pointed out reasonably. "We're not human." 

"Cool!"

"We're not demonstrating," Lucifer cut in dryly, before she could request such demonstrations. "Tends to freak humans out when they see something they don't understand. Do you know what you're having yet?" One of the waitresses was making her way over to them with a notepad, and he wanted to stall this conversation quickly. He wondered idly if the Spawn would relay any of this to her mother later as their orders were taken, deciding he didn't really care if she did or not – it wasn't like the so-called 'Detective' would believe her, anyway. She'd probably be pissed that he was filling her daughters head with 'delusions' and 'nonsense', but Lucifer found, upon analysing his feelings (and Linda would be so proud of him, he was sure) that he didn't much care what she thought.

As long as word of Arianwen and Muireann didn't get back to Cain, it was alright. (He wasn't worried about him hearing about Michael: not like the immortal bastard could do anything to his twin without suffering some serious damage himself. Arianwen could hold her own too, but she was no archangel. And they were all, after all, leverage to use against Lucifer himself… Something he wouldn't put past the man to try).

***

The meal passed quickly but pleasantly, and Trixie took to his little family immediately. He wondered idly if it was just the fascination of being around more non-humans, but, even if it was partially, she appeared to be genuinely enjoying herself. They too seemed to like her too, even Michael the usually moody bastard. 

And, to Trixie's delight, they had some chocolate cake. It was, she declared, the best ever.

As promised, Lucifer dropped her back at her home as time ticked closer to eight o'clock. Trixie was still excited from her amazing meal and company – not to mention the sugar in the chocolate cake and coke she had had to drink – but was fading as well: it had, after all, been an exciting day, and she was still a child. Muireann had been leaning sleepily against her mother's shoulder as they were getting ready to leave. 

Lucifer pulled up outside their apartment, and sighed, switching off the engine as he turned to face the child in his passenger seat. There was a light on inside, and he could see the figure of the detective as she peered out, checking it was them. A larger, hulking figure was in the background – Cain.

"I would appreciate if you didn't tell Pierce about who you met tonight, child," He said quietly. Hesitating slightly, he then smiled. "You know none of us are human, and it would be better if he didn't know they were in town – especially not Arianwen and Muireann, he doesn't know they exist so far. Alright?"

Trixie frowned. She hadn't been planning on telling that man anything, but she had been looking forwards to talking to her mom, and it occurred to her that Marcus might still be there. Damn. "Is it bad if he knows about them?"

Lucifer nodded. "Potentially, yes. As I said earlier, he's not who he says he is. Just...be careful, please?"

She shivered slightly. "Is he a bad man?" She whispered.

"Yes he is. I've tried to tell your mother, but she isn't listening to anything I say these days. Especially if it's about that fridge-built idiot." 

Trixie frowned. "Mommy loves him..."

He snorted. "Maybe so, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a lying bastard – and your mother would be yelling at me for swearing in front of you, no doubt. Still: trust me, please child, when I say that he's dangerous. Maybe he loves your mother, maybe not: I'm not quite sure on that one. But, regardless of what she believes, he is not a good man."

"Who is he then?" Trixie asked hesitantly, not sure if she really wanted to know, but needing to protect her mom. "Have you told Mommy?"

Lucifer sighed, looking at her with sad, tired eyes. "Yes, I have tried to tell your mother..." He studied her for a moment, before giving in. "I don't expect you to believe me – though you're doing remarkably well with me being the Devil, I'm impressed," She beamed at this, before sobering to listen seriously once more, "But he's Cain."

Trixie frowned: her parents hadn't made her go to Church, mostly just when her dad's family were visiting, since her mother resolutely did NOT believe in anything, and she didn't really know who that was supposed to be. It sounded vaguely familiar – growing up in LA in the American school system, you couldn't really help but get SOME religion shoved down your throat – but she wasn't sure. "Who?"

"First murderer – son of Adam and Eve, who you lot think of as the very first humans ever , who killed his younger brother Abel."

Trixie's eyes widened. "How's he still alive if he's so old?!"

"My father cursed him for what he did. Has to walk the earth for eternity, or some such. Truthfully, a monumentally stupid idea since he's built himself up a nice little criminal empire, but hey: what God says goes." He added bitterly, and she decided not to pry into the massive daddy issues that she had sometimes heard her mother bitch about. 

She frowned slightly, thinking. "Why would he have to live forever? Other murderers don't!"

Lucifer shrugged. "No idea. You'd have to ask Dad what he was thinking, but it's not like he's answering anyone...well, ever."

She sighed, before reaching over to hug him. She felt him stiffen as he usually did, but she held on. "I'm sorry, Lucifer. Your dad sounds really mean," She felt him chuckle more than she heard it, then his arms came up to tentatively hug her back.

"I'm used to it, child. Just be careful, OK?"

"I will," She pulled out of the hug to smile at him, before grabbing her bag and hopping out of his car. She paused as he didn't follow, however. "Aren't you coming?"

But he shook his head. "No, Beatrice. I'll make sure you get in alright, then I have to return to my club." He raised an imperious eyebrow, and teased: "I do have a business to run, you know."

She giggled, and slammed the car door. "Bye Lucifer!" 

She ran up the path to her house, and the front door opened as she approached to reveal her smiling mother – and Marcus Pierce hovering behind her, eyes on Lucifer at the end of the path. "Hi Mommy!"

"Hey, Monkey," Chloe smiled, bending down to pull her into a hug. She looked back up as she heard an engine start, and wasn't overly surprised to see her partner pulling away; though, admittedly, a little disappointed he hadn't said anything at all to her. Just dropped her daughter back, and left.

Shaking off thoughts of Lucifer, she smiled down at her daughter, guiding her inside and closing the door behind them. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah!" Trixie cheered, shucking her bag and jacket, and bouncing slightly in place. "It was reeeally fun, Mom," 

Chloe chuckled, gesturing for her to hang her bag and jacket as she was supposed to – which she did, with a pout. "And did you eat something?"

"Yep," Trixie replied, doing as she was asked. "Chicken goujons and chips, with peas and the best chocolate cake ever for pudding!"

Chloe wasn't overly surprised by the pudding, but was by the description. "Really?" She asked, intrigued – her daughter loved chocolate cake, but it was rare she found the best ever ! "The best?"

"Uh-huh! And the food was really nice too," Here she giggled. "Though Mike was mad at Lucifer 'cause he left a big tip again,"

Chloe frowned. "Why would he be mad?"

"'Cause Mike's trying to give him food for free! I dunno why, but apparently Lucifer doesn't have to pay there. But he keeps leaving big tips to cover it anyway – Mike was all scowl-ly and arms folded when we were driving away," She giggled again, and Chloe chuckled with her, pulling her daughter into a cuddle on the couch with her as Marcus hovered. 

"That does sound funny! And how was his brother?"

Trixie knew her mother was fishing, but she remembered what Lucifer had said about not telling Pierce anything if she could help it. And Lucifer won over Pierce every time in her book. "Good. He was nice." She didn't elaborate more, regardless of how much her mother prodded her with her finger and looked at her curiously.

Trixie looked up at Marcus, and frowned. "Why is he still here? Isn't it bedtime?"

Chloe hesitated, and glanced at her fiancé. "Monkey, he's going to be staying the night, ok?"

Trixie scowled, but knew she wasn't really being asked for her permission. She huffed, and stood from the couch, "Fine. I'm going to bed." And she'd been having such a wonderful evening, as well...

Chloe stood too, looking surprised. "But Monkey, I want to hear all about your dinner!"

Trixie shrugged. "You want to spend time with Marcus, " She sneered his name, unable to help herself. "And I'm not telling him ."

Marcus snorted. "What, you prefer Lucifer , or something?" He scoffed, sounding as if the very idea was ludicrous.

She glowered up at him. " Yes . Lucifer's a good person, and I like him. You're not."

She looked back over to her mother, who was looking upset. She softened slightly – she didn't like upsetting her mother,  but she was getting tired of acting nice to Marcus. It was a tough job. 

"Trixie, that's not nice! You said you liked Marcus!"

She scowled slightly, wanting to escape to her bedroom. "That was 'cause you said he made you happy. And before I met him. And he doesn't like me either." Of this, she was pretty sure.

Chloe looked surprised. "Of course he does, baby! Look, monkey," She crouched before her daughter, taking her hands. "I know this has been fast for you, and I'm really sorry about that. I suppose I should have introduced the two of you sooner," She glanced over at Pierce, who was still standing there. "But we're going to be a family soon. Can you please try to get to know him? For me?"

Trixie would do anything for her mother, and she wanted her to be happy, but she was not about to suddenly start liking the man – especially after what Lucifer had told her about him.

She just shrugged. "I'm tired, Mommy."

Her mother still looked upset, but nodded in resignation. "Alright, monkey. I'll come through and read you a story in a minute, OK? You go get your PJs on,"

"No thanks, Mommy," Trixie shrugged, heading for her room and missing the expression on her mother's face. "I don't want a story tonight."

She closed her door behind her, leaving a stricken-looking Chloe staring at the wood behind her, hurt that her daughter was growing up but knowing that these days with no bedtime story (therefore time with just herself and her little girl at the end of the day) would be more and more common from now on.

Not to mention her attitude towards Marcus. She had noticed that her little girl had been hesitant around him, and seemed annoyed sometimes when he would come over for dinner, but she had assumed that that would pass. They just had to get to know each other. She was extremely lucky to have found someone like Marcus, who liked her despite her being nearer forty than thirty, a single mom who worked a lot and came with a crazy partner. That he was still willing to be with her even with Trixie was a huge thing in her eyes: that he was willing to love her daughter as well as her, when so many other men wouldn't be.

Sure, she had noted some tension between the pair in the back of her mind, but she had thought that it was just a stranger being in her life now.

She suddenly remembered that Trixie had loved Lucifer from pretty much the moment the unlikely pair had met, but she brushed that off. Her daughter had been younger then, and children tended to flock to people who were uncomfortable around them anyway. And Lucifer talked to her like an adult (after the phase when he seemed to think she was more like a dog than a human, which Trixie had found hysterical anyway), whereas Marcus treated her like the child she was. She supposed that, for her daughter, this was a new man taking Lucifer's place...

But that was ridiculous! No, Trixie would just have to learn to accept that this was happening. Marcus hadn't really spent much time here with the two of them, and even less often had spent the night. But, with the pair getting married soon, Trixie was just going to have to get used to it.

Might as well start tonight.

As she climbed into bed with Marcus later, however, she couldn't help the sliver of unease as she thought about her daughter. The girl hadn't been forthcoming about her night, clamming up about the details though bubbly and enthusiastic about the night as a whole. It wasn't that she thought anything bad had happened to her – she knew Lucifer well enough that he wouldn't let anything happen to her daughter, despite what she had harshly accused him of earlier, her thoughts running away from her in her irritation. But she had never met this other brother, and she hadn't even known Lucifer even had this apparent niece. 

Still, she thought sleepily, cuddling up with Marcus. She could ask her tomorrow: hopefully the little girl would be more forthcoming...

It briefly occurred to her that her daughter hadn't wanted to talk about it with Marcus, but she quickly brushed off the thought. Trixie would be fine with him – she just had to get to know him, to see the good man that Chloe saw.

Although, she thought with a flash of irritation, her daughter had said that Lucifer was a good man and that Marcus wasn't... If her damn delusional partner had been filling her daughter's head with his lies... well, he would be in for a world of pain.

***

Pierce left after breakfast the next morning, leaving Trixie with her mom to herself on the ride to school. She was grateful for that, but still annoyed the man had spent the night. Oh well: it wasn't like she was going to get any say in that, anyway. Still didn't mean she had to like it.

Her mom side-eyed her in the car, before speaking up. "So, you haven't said much about your time last night. Did you enjoy yourself with Lucifer?"

Trixie brightened, nodding enthusiastically. She didn't mind talking about it with her mother now that Pierce was gone, and she did like talking anyway. "Yeah! It was really good – and the food there's amaaazing !" 

Chloe chuckled. "Where did you go?"

"Mike's – it's a diner, and we met Mike himself! I think he's a friend of Lucifer's. He was really nice, and had the best chocolate cake!"

All of which Chloe had learned last night, but she ploughed on. "And did you meet Lucifer's brother?"

"Uh-huh. He's nice too. They look soooo alike , Mom!" She giggled at this. "I didn't know Lucifer had a twin!"

Chloe started in surprise. "A twin? Are you sure?" Had it been her partner telling her this, she wouldn't have believed him – though how this would have been a delusional metaphor, she wasn't quite sure. As it was her daughter, however... 

"Yep. They're identical," Trixie giggled here. "Lucifer said their siblings could never tell them apart,"

Chloe chuckled at this too. "Sounds like they could have got up to lots of mischief!"

"Uh-huh!" 

Chloe smiled at her daughter's glee. "And did you meet anyone else?"

Trixie nodded. "Michael's partner and their daughter,"

"Is this...the owner Mike?"

"No, Mommy! Lucifer's brother!"

Chloe blinked. "His...twin brother is called Michael?"

"Uh-huh." Trixie nodded, oblivious to her mother's bafflement, apparently not seeing the oddness in twins being called Lucifer and Michael. The detective had long since believed that Lucifer was a fake name, regardless of what her partner told her, but still... She wondered if Michael was fake too. But who would choose to go by those names, especially two brothers? Michael, she could understand, but she still wasn't entirely sold on why Lucifer would choose that name for himself. "And his partner's really nice!"

"Are they married?" Chloe shook off the distracting thoughts and focused back on her daughter, who shook her head at this enquiry.

"No, I don't think so."

"Huh," Chloe supposed that wasn't really weird... "And they have a daughter?"

"Yep – Muireann," Trixie replied, feeling a flash of pride as she pronounced the name correctly. 

Chloe's eyebrow shot up. "That's not a common name..." She'd never heard of it before, but she supposed this was America: a melting pot, indeed.

Trixie smiled. "Arianwen – her mom – she's Welsh." 

"Ah, I see," Chloe smiled. "And Michael?"

Trixie giggled. "He just sounds like Lucifer,"

"Well, I suppose he would if they were twins." Chloe smiled – though he and Amenadiel claimed to be brothers too and they had completely different accents. She did believe they were brothers though: she's seen enough of their interactions to buy that line. She didn't, however, believe that they had the same parents: there was no way! One of them at least had to be adopted...or something. 

"Arianwen's reeeally pretty, Mommy," Trixie continued. 

"Is she?"

"Uh-huh. But she says most people expect her kind to be fair – but her hair's really dark! Like mine! But muuuuch longer."

"How long?!" Chloe gasped theatrically.

" Reeeeally long, Mommy!" Trixie giggled, twisting round to put her hand at her waist. "Down to here !"

"Wow, that is long!" Chloe laughed, pulling into the school lane. "Hey baby, why didn't you tell me any of this last night?"

Trixie immediately scowled, and shrugged. "Pierce was there."

Chloe sighed. "And you didn't want to talk to him?"

Trixie shrugged again, and shook her head. She stared moodily out the window in front of her. "He doesn't like Lucifer. I know he doesn't, Mom." She cut in almost scathingly as her mother opened her mouth to protest. "I don't want to talk about Lucifer's family to someone who doesn't like him." She replied firmly, and Chloe felt a proud warmth fill her. While she hated that Marcus and Trixie seemed to be at odds currently, she had to admit she was proud of her daughters’ protectiveness towards her friends.

"That's a good point, baby." She smiled at her daughter. "But Marcus doesn't not like Lucifer," He maybe didn't, actually, but that was besides the point. "He's just Lucifer's boss."

"No, he's your boss, Mommy." Trixie replied as her mother pulled up at the school. "Lucifer is his own boss at Lux. He consults as a secondary job, and not as a detective." This had briefly been discussed last night. "You know he doesn't get paid, right? It's a hobby for him." 

Chloe looked at her little girl in surprise. When did she get so wise, and how did she know all this? "Lucifer is my partner, Monkey; he works for the L.A.P.D."

"No, he works with them, Mom." Her daughter replied, hopping out the car with her schoolbag after giving her a quick hug. "Maybe you should remember that when you're mad at him 'cause he's got other stuff to do so can't immediately come running when you call like you expect him to." She shrugged, before running off into school.

Chloe sat in the car for a moment and gaped after her retreating daughter. Where did that come from? Lucifer was a damn lazy partner at times, never doing what a proper partner should – mounds of paperwork, for instance. Yes, she knew he ran a damn club, but if he was oh-so-determined to nose in on police investigations, he should do some work. It wasn't like Lux could require much, anyway.

Scowling slightly at the thought of what could have been discussed last night to have her daughter saying such things to her, Chloe Decker pulled out of her parking space and set off for the precinct, determined to give Lucifer Morningstar a piece of her mind.

***

Lucifer Morningstar was getting closer to not giving a damn what one Chloe Decker thought, and he was admitting that to himself too. For so long he had been mildly obsessed with her, even falling in love with her, but he had to admit that that had been changing lately. He didn't like seeing her with Cain, but that was not out of jealousy as she claimed. Sure, at first it was a bit, but now it was just protective instincts. And annoyance at the woman's stupidity.

He had talked it through with Michael and Arianwen last night after dropping the Spawn home and after Muireann was asleep, and they had helped him realise his own feelings. Linda was wonderful, and he was truly thankful for her, but to be honest he had had help with his feelings before in these two – especially his twin. While it wasn't their favourite topic, and Lucifer had definitely been feeling more immersed with the humans since his extended stay on earth, it still came up. It was good to get another perspective, and, while Linda's was helpful, she was usually focusing on helping him get to realisations on his own. Additionally, Michael and Arianwen had known him far longer: they had more context in some respects. In others, they had less: they hadn't been there for his developing relationship – platonic and potentially romantic – since the beginning as Linda had, but they had also known about his supernatural origins all along (hard not to, since neither of them were human either). 

He could admit now that he had seen his friendship with Chloe changing recently: both pulling away from each other in different ways. And that it had been going on for some time: after all, when he had killed Uriel and gone off the deep end for a while, Chloe had begged him to tell her what was wrong – and he hadn't. Even back then, he was used to her brushing what he said off, diminishing his problems. And he hadn't wanted that – hadn't wanted to have the death of his brother brushed off as yet another delusional damn metaphor to the infuriating woman. 

She had seen him do more than enough by now that she should know he was no ordinary human, even if she still refused to accept the existence of anything other than humans. At this point, as he had said, it was either willful ignorance or sheer stupidity. Usually he leant towards the former, but there were a few times – in his particularly uncharitable moments when she was being especially dense – when he leant more towards the latter.

He had died in front of her, for Dad's sake. She had seen him bleed out , had seen the blood all over his shirt when he got back up again, and let it go . Dismissed it.

As she had stopped looking into his 'mojo', his strength. Just pushing things into her 'Luciferness' box in her mind, to be ignored as they didn't fit into her world view.

It was extremely frustrating, and there had even been a couple of times over recent months when he had contemplated stopping working with her. He still wanted to help punish criminals, but did it have to be with Decker...? Usually he brushed those thoughts off himself, but the idea of not having to be her partner anymore was sounding more appealing lately...

He wouldn't quit, of course. No, she was still in danger, and he wasn't a heartless monster. She was still his friend, regardless of her changing personality and poor life choices (though he felt sure that she was judging him on his far more harshly than he ever had hers) and he would continue to do what he could to get her away from that immortal idiot. 

And her child. He liked the Spawn, and his respect for the little girl had climbed dramatically last night when she had calmly informed him that she knew very well that he was the devil, thank you very much – and that it didn't matter at all. He was still her friend, and he always would be.

But her mother was unknowingly putting her in danger, and that Lucifer couldn't allow to stand. Pierce had attempted to inform him that he had no connection to the Sinnerman at all not long after they had met – it hadn't taken Lucifer long at all to realise he was Cain, not with his wings back and having unlocked his powers again – but Lucifer hadn't believed the lying bastard. When he had attempted to tell Chloe, he had been brushed off as usual. However, when Pierce had told her the Sinnerman was real, she had believed him – after dismissing Lucifer's own claims before they had even met the man.

For Lucifer, that was now saying a lot about how their partnership was faring – or rather, how they were deteriorating.

Regardless, he would continue to do his best to protect his human friends. He highly doubted Daniel would listen should he tell him who Pierce really was, though he knew the detective didn't like the man. No, Daniel had shown no signs of ever believing him before, and tended to dismiss everything he said. Miss Lopez thought the sun shone out of Pierce's arse, so she was out too. And as for other cops at the precinct...well, he didn't know for sure who was loyal to Cain, and who was clean.

So, his contact at the F.B.I. it was. If Chloe refused to listen to him, he would find someone who would. He knew that he couldn't take down Pierce on his own – not if he wanted the entire network brought down as well. Which he did.

An official investigation – covert, of course; highly secretive in case anyone got wind of it and warned the immortal wanker – was underway, and Lucifer was damned if he wasn't going to see it through. Well, he was damned anyway, but that was besides the point.

Chapter Text

Lucifer was not impressed upon getting laid into as soon as he entered the bullpen at the precinct that morning. 

"What exactly am I being accused of here?" Lucifer demanded coldly as he cut off the Detective's rant – which he hadn't caught, not really listening. Dan and Ella were standing off to the side awkwardly, looking on with widened eyes.

"What the hell have you been saying to Trixie?!"

"Again, you'll need to be a little more specific." And his day had started off so well too... He wasn't a fan of children in general, but there were exceptions and he quite enjoyed seeing his young niece. The four of them had had quite a pleasant breakfast this morning. It was nice to have his twin – and his little family – around again, comparatively short though he knew the visit would need to be.

"Why does she think Marcus doesn't like you?!"

"Because he doesn't?" He responded dryly, while Dan shifted behind him. "It's not like the fool hides it."

"There! That! You can't insult my fiancé in front of my daughter!"

"Why not?" He replied reasonably. "He insults me. And for the record, I in no way influenced your spawn's opinions of the fridge-built idiot before. She formed them herself upon meeting the fool."

"Stop insulting him!"

"No."

"He's done nothing to you! And Trixie said she liked him! Because he makes me happy!"

"Before or after she met him."

"What?"

"Did she tell you she likes him before or after she met him?"

"What does that matter!"

Lucifer merely arched one dark eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest. His suit sleeves strained at the pull of his biceps, but she wasn't looking at that, she wasn't . Marcus' arms were far more muscle-y anyway.

"Regardless," She continued, glaring at him. "She never said anything about not liking him until she came home from being out with you. And she's spouting rubbish about Marcus not liking you!"

"Well, he doesn't, Chlo," Dan risked getting his own head ripped off to speak up. "It's kinda obvious."

Chloe rounded on him, gaping. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Dan merely shrugged at her. "In case it's escaped your notice, Pierce doesn't exactly like me or Lucifer." Though he suspected that the man disliked him for far different reasons than he did the so-called Devil – after all, the Lieutenant had made it clear that Dan was nothing more than a dirty, irredeemable cop in his eyes. 

Chloe was looking upset now. "He's never said anything!"

Lucifer snorted. "And I suppose anything he says is gold, whereas anything we tell you is lies," He retorted disdainfully. "No, don't bother arguing, you've already proven your opinions several times now. Was there anything else to this rant? Or can we accept that he doesn't like me and get on with some work?"

Work, yes – that was the other thing. "There is something else, actually!" She snapped back huffily. "Why is my daughter acting like you're only here on a damn hobby? You work for the L.A.P.D., so should be pulling your weight!"

"It is a hobby, and I work with the L.A.P.D. – not for them. It's not like I get paid for this," He shrugged. "And what do you mean I don't pull my weight?"

"Paperwork, for starters!"

"I have enough of that at Lux – you know, the business I run? This was supposed to be something to do in my free time. NOT a day job. Yes, I help on cases – when you bother to call me. And YOU are the one who agreed to have me as a partner – when no one else would work with you, remember?" He couldn't resist adding. "I'd say we have worked pretty well together in the past – what with the best solve rate in the precinct, and all that. You think I've contributed nothing to that? Think you could get the same results without me? You weren't before I came along."

She gaped at him. "This is not a damn hobby!"

"Not for you, no – for you this is your real job. As I have said before, it is not mine. I am here to help, but I do have other commitments. Coming in to sit around and not do paperwork because you think I'll muck it up but demand my presence here anyway is not a productive use of anyone's time."

He had her there, Ella had to admit. She had noticed that happening sometimes, and she'd noticed Chloe's anger when her partner didn't come in when she demanded he do so for just such pointless purposes.

"I do not do that!"

"Yes you do, girl," Ella interjected, trying to lighten everybody up some. "I mean, I've noticed, and so have loads of others. He, er, does have a real job..."

"Lux practically runs itself!"

"What exactly do you know about running a successful business, Detective?" Lucifer drawled dryly, "Very little, I'd wager. While things are self-sufficient a lot of the time, even then I do have duties that need performed. While I am more than happy to help solve cases, wasting my time hanging around here doing nothing simply because you demand my presence and coming in avoids the guaranteed bitching should I fail to come in is not something I wish to be doing. And yes, it is detrimental to my business."

Chloe scowled at them all. "You want to run your damn business, run your damn business. But don't do it on my time."

"Don't call me in needlessly then." He replied coldly. They glowered at each other for a moment, before Chloe snorted in disgust, grabbed some paper from her desk, and marched off towards Pierce's office.

Lucifer snorted in disgust. "Why does she seem to think I belong to her, anyway?" He asked nobody in particular in irritation. "I'm a damn consultant, not a cop – I have more than enough paperwork already, thank you very much."

"Hey, I know man," Dan slapped him on the shoulder in a friendly, sympathetic clap. "She's been weird since she and Pierce got together anyway. It'll blow over."

Lucifer snorted again, as Ella shifted uncomfortably. She was shipping Pecker babies hard, but she hated seeing her friends at odds as well... "Blow over, sure. Well, I know how it will end, and it's not something she's going to like. Still," He shrugged, looking indifferent. "I tried to warn her. She chose to ignore me and date the moron anyway. So she only has herself to blame."

Neither Dan nor Ella had a clue what he was talking about, but he merely shrugged upon their enquiring gazes. "I doubt you'll believe me either. So I won't even bother trying. Now, as it appears I'm not needed – nor wanted – I shall be at my club if my services are later required."

He turned to leave, but an adamant Dan pulled him back. "Hey man, wait!" He reached out, grabbing onto Lucifer's arm. As always he was surprised by the apparent strength of seemingly passive resistance when such a tug would have pulled anyone else back at least a little but, equally as usual, shrugged it off. "What do you mean, you tried to warn Chloe. About what? Pierce?"

Lucifer sighed, and studied him curiously for a moment. Finally, he shrugged: oh well, what the hell. "Yes, about Pierce. She's so convinced that he's a good man – as are you, it appears Miss Lopez," He nodded at Ella, who frowned in confusion, "But he's not. I don't expect you to believe me, but he's dangerous."

Dan looked surprised. "Dangerous? No way man,"

Lucifer just arched an eyebrow, not surprised at the reply. "Told you you wouldn't believe me. But trust me, Daniel: Pierce is not who he says he is."

With that he turned and walked away, leaving a confused Dan and Ella behind. Neither, as predicted, believed him, but there was a nagging doubt in Dan's mind. He shook it off: he didn't like the dick lieutenant either, but that was no reason to suddenly think he was dangerous. No. No, this was just more of Lucifer's delusions.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder... Lucifer had, after all, claimed to have warned Chloe, and he had known how Dan and Ella would react – with disbelief. But that was how they usually reacted to the crazy things he said: it wasn't like half of it was believable anyway, since it was from Lucifer's fantasy world, and the other half lost credit due to that. 

No, Lieutenant Pierce was a good police officer and a dick. End of story. Chloe apparently loved him, and they were getting married. Sure, he would rather she end up with literally anybody else – hell, he would prefer Lucifer to that dick, and he had hated the guy upon first meeting him – but he had no say in his ex-wife's affairs. Had he been dangerous, he would have been putting his foot down, but he wasn't sure how that would have been received. However, Trixie was his daughter too, and, despite the separation, he still had some say in her life. If Chloe was bringing a dangerous man around her, then they would have been having words. A dick though...? He didn't like it, but he couldn't really say anything about it.

***

Marcus Pierce was at dinner again.

Trixie frowned, spinning her spaghetti round her fork as she glowered across the table at him. That was Lucifer's spot – not that he had been by recently, but still. 

Chloe looked between her glowering daughter and her rock-solid fiancee, and held back a sigh. "So, Monkey, how was your day?"

"Fine."

"Make any new friends?"

"No."

"Anything nice happen?"

"No."

"Anything bad happen?"

Trixie's scowl in Pierce's direction deepened, but she amended the obvious answer to such a ridiculous question. "No."

Chloe held off another frustrated sigh. It was like pulling teeth. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"No, Mom."

Pierce smiled at Trixie, but it looked so false to the girl. "Are you enjoying your dinner?"

She gave him a look as if to say 'what do you think, moron', but out loud replied: "It's fine."

Marcus sighed, placing his cutlery down on his plate. "Trixie, your mother cooked this wonderful food after a hard day at work. Aren't you going to say thank you?"

She shot him a mutinous look. "Thank you, Mommy," She intoned. "It tastes good."

"Thank you, Monkey." Chloe hesitated, took a bite of her own dinner, then attempted once more to break the tension. "Anything you want to know about Marcus, honey? We are going to be a family soon, so you should get to know each other better!"

Trixie frowned, but then perked up. "Where are your parents then, Mr Marcus?" Perhaps she could use this opportunity to her advantage. Maybe he'd slip up, with Detective Trixie on the case...prove to her mom she was marrying a liar.

"My parents are dead," Marcus replied casually, taking a sip of his wine.

Chloe winced, scolding her daughter with a look. "Sorry, Marcus, she shouldn't be bringing this up – "

He smiled at her. "It's alright, Chloe. It's natural she's curious. Besides," He added with a shrug and another small smile, "It was a long time ago."

"How about your brother?" Trixie butted in. "Where's he?"

Chloe looked surprised. "How did you know he had a brother, Trixie?"

"Lucifer said." She stuck her chin out defiantly, daring Marcus with her eyes.

"Did he now," Chloe muttered. "And how did Lucifer know?"

"I certainly didn't tell him," Marcus shrugged. "But to answer your question, Trixie, my brother's dead too."

"What was his name?"

Here, Marcus appeared to hesitate. Yes! But her excitement was premature. "John," Marcus replied. "His name was John." (For a brief moment he couldn't remember what he had told Chloe before. Had he mentioned Abel's name? What had his paperwork said this time?)

Trixie snorted. " Suuure..." She muttered under her breath, then, louder; "Where are you from? You've never said."

"Chicago."

"Thought that was where you moved from for work."

"I'm from there too."

"Huh. Really."

Chloe too looked surprised. "I thought you grew up in Springfield?" That was what his file had said anyway, when they had heard they were getting a new lieutenant at the precinct.

"I did," He replied smoothly, "But I was born in Chicago. Moved to Springfield, then back to Chicago," he shrugged self depreciatingly. "Moved around Illinois." 

Chloe chuckled, taking a sip of her own wine. Not nearly as good as what Lucifer would provide, but she couldn't afford anything like that. This bottle was an extravagance for her purse, to be honest. "I've never really lived outside L.A., myself."

"No desire to travel?" Marcus smiled over at her.

She shrugged. "Not really," She admitted. "Sure it would have been nice to see some places, but I'm pretty happy with how my life turned out," She smiled over at her daughter, and then laughed a little. "Besides, I'm a Cali girl – need my sunshine!"

Marcus chuckled appreciatively, and the night went on.

Damn, thought Trixie. Strike one for Detective Trixie. I'll get you somehow, Cain...

***

And life went on. Trixie wasn't warming up to Marcus, but Chloe felt sure that this would change one day. It had to. The wedding was in a few weeks, and she was busy with plans. She and Marcus had agreed that they didn't want a big deal; just a few guests and some food and drinks after. Truthfully, they'd considered just eloping, but Chloe wanted her family and friends to be there – to share in her happiness. She knew Marcus didn't have any family left, but he had a few friends from the precinct on the list. Not many others, though...

She was torn over inviting Lucifer. She could admit that Marcus didn't really seem to like him, and he certainly didn't like Marcus. Plus, would it be weird to invite her almost-ex-... something? They were still working together, though even their working relationship was strained these days, but she thought they were still friends. Surely he'd want her to be happy, so would come on her wedding day! 

She was inviting Dan, and he was her ex-husband after all. She figured his plus-one would be Charlotte, but she was inviting the woman anyway – maybe. She had to admit she liked her better these days – she was far nicer than she was when she used to hang out more with Lucifer, and didn't appear to remember anything about those months. Chloe couldn't even begin to imagine what that must be like, and felt sorry for her – after she had determined that the woman wasn't faking, and genuinely had no idea what she'd been doing or where she'd been. She even had no idea why she wasn't allowed to see her own kids...

She and Dan were doing well together, though, and Chloe was happy for them, she really was. Occasionally she was a little jealous, or concerned for Dan, but the moments were fleeting, and increasingly less often of late. 

She and Marcus were doing great, and she really had no reason to be jealous of her ex. The only major flaw was that Trixie and Marcus' relationship didn't appear to be improving. They were cordial to one another, but she was now seeing a rift between them that didn't seem to be closing.

And speaking of rifts, the one between her and Lucifer seemed to be increasing. Chloe didn't know what was wrong, but more often than not she was mad at him about something or other these days. She couldn't even pin down why! It wasn't like he was even doing anything overly obnoxious, or outside his normal self. He was just...getting on her nerves.

She blamed wedding jitters. Once she and Marcus were married, everything would go back to normal. It would.

They were currently working on the murder of a young woman, and it was looking like it was a jealous ex. Needless to say, Chloe thought that Lucifer was projecting onto the case again. She didn't see how he couldn't like Marcus for any other reason than jealousy – not that he had ever admitted to her that he had any such feelings towards her. She figured it was just possessiveness: a new man in her life, when there hadn't really been anyone since they had started working together (apart from Dan, of course). After all, Marcus was a wonderful person: a bit of a hard-ass at work, but he had to be – he was the boss. And, while she had found him to be a difficult person to get to know, get behind his shields, he had been opening up to her. Even after he had broken up with her fairly early in their relationship... He had admitted it was because he was scared, and had been working to get her back. 

Not like Lucifer, who was a delusional child, and who was, once again, not helping her with her paperwork. 

He had, however, been helpful in the interrogation of the ex when they brought him in. As suspected, he crumbled and confessed to her murder, leaving them with a nice little solved case. She was sure she could have gotten a confession without Lucifer's mojo-thing being used, but she had to admit that it had been quicker and easier. The man's 'desire', after all, was to get away with murdering his ex-girlfriend... When he realised he had actually just told the police that he had done it, he had burst into tears and told them why. Jealousy, as expected.

"I still don't understand why you humans will go to such extremes," Lucifer remarked as he sauntered out of the interrogation room with her. "I mean, killing an ex simply because she was seeing someone else? She wasn't his property, he had no say in her life!" 

Chloe snorted indelicately, side-eying him. "Exactly – no say."

He turned his face towards her, and arched an eyebrow. "You've got that look where you're passive-aggressively accusing me of something and expect me to know what that something is. I've told you before, I'm not a mind reader, Detective."

She huffed. "You don't see any similarities between yourself and Ryans? Really? None at all?"

The other eyebrow joined the first in their expressive arches. "No, why would I?"

"Oh, I dunno," She wasn't really sure where the irritation was coming from, but she was feeling it more and more around her consultant as time went on. "Jealous over his ex being with another man?"

"I assure you, I have never killed any of my exes, especially not for such an unjustified reason as that young man did." He replied dryly.

Chloe scowled, rounding on him and pulling him to the side. "So you don't see yourself as jealous, do you?" She probably shouldn't be confronting him about this now, but hey. In all honesty, this had been a long time coming.

"No? Why would I be?" 

"You have been so against me dating Marcus!"

He snorted. "Because he's a tool, and a liar. He's dangerous – my only concern has been for your safety."

She scoffed at that. "My safety, right!" Her voice dropped seriously, pointing a finger at him as her voice almost shook with the intensity of her tone. "I will say this one-more-time. Marcus. Is. A. Good. Man. You need to let go of this...this...childish pettiness! I am not an object you can win!"

His eyes flashed angrily, and his voice dropped down to match her hiss. "I have never said you are. As for childish pettiness, warning you that you are making a monumentally stupid mistake is not childish, nor pettiness! How much do you actually know about the man?! Next to nothing true, I'd wager!" 

"You are unbelievable!" Chloe seethed. "I am marrying Marcus, and nothing you can say will stop me!" 

He shrugged, leaning back against the wall with hands pushed into his pockets. "I don't doubt it. But you aren't going to be marrying him, regardless of what either of us say."

Her mouth fell open. "How dare you! How dare you!" She made a concerted effort to keep her voice down, not wanting to cause a scene. "You do not get to dictate my life, Lucifer!"

"I'm not trying to," Lucifer retorted. "But Marcus Pierce will answer for his crimes. You don't want to be married to him when that happens."

" Crimes, what crimes?! He is a police. Officer!" 

"Excellent cover." he replied dryly. "Look, I know you don't believe me, but he is the Sinnerman –"

"Not this again!" Chloe cried, throwing her hands up in despair. There were angry tears in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "No, you know what Lucifer?" Something inside her finally snapped. "I'm done. I am done with your metaphors and your delusions, and your lies!"

He scowled, opening his mouth to retort, but she cut him off.

"And don't you dare tell me you don't lie! You DO!" She was trying very hard not to scream at him now, and not succeeding very well. Ella had exited the lab, and was staring with wide eyes. "We are done, do you hear me? DONE! I'm requesting a new partner. I don't want to work with you anymore. You are unfit to work with the police, and I should never have let you – you are certifiably insane. Absolutely crazy!" She viciously held off her tears, watching as Lucifer's gaze turned ice cold. "You hear me? You cannot enter this precinct again!"

One eyebrow slowly arched, and his tone was glacial when he replied. "Oh?" Silkily smooth, "You would ban me from the precinct? And if, say, I was a witness to a crime? You would refuse me entrance to give my testimony?" He was mocking her, and she felt her cheeks flush in anger. "But don't worry, Detective," Her title, usually spoken so fondly, was sneered this time as he continued, almost menacing as he stepped forward, towering over her, "I won't bother distressing you with my presence any longer. But know that I will be back here at least once." His smile turned slightly sinister.

Chloe scowled at him, trying desperately not to show how affected she was by his presence currently, and this conversation. "Oh yeah? And why's that?" She mocked. 

His smirk was definitely sinister now. "I want to see the show." He stepped around her to leave, before turning back to address her once more, "Oh, and when shit hits the fan – and it will – don't say I didn't warn you. And don't come crying to me." He glowered, and then shrugged, "Like you said: we're done." 

And he turned and strode out of the precinct, leaving a gaping Ella and Chloe behind him – both full of differing tumultuous emotions, and neither at all sure that what had just happened was a good thing...

***

Dan wasn't overly surprised that Deckerstar (and damn Ella for getting that name stuck in his head...) had apparently imploded. What did surprise him was Lucifer's dire proclamations about shit apparently hitting the fan... Sure, he didn't like the LT either, but he genuinely seemed to like Chloe, and she him. What could go wrong that Lucifer was predicting? OK, yeah, their romance was pretty quick, but...well, it wasn't his place to judge. 

He had been watching Chloe pushing Lucifer away without even noticing for the past few months now – almost ever since Pierce had come to the precinct. At first, the man had infuriated her: calling her Lucifer's partner and not the other way around, and such like. But then, after he had taken a bullet for her, she had warmed up to him – and he to her. They had started seeing more of each other not long after – hanging out, discussing cases,... He hadn't put it together until they were properly dating. Then he was breaking up with her and she was devastated, then he was trying to win her back... Not long after, they were engaged. Not that he particularly approved of that, but he had little say in the matter – the only say he did have was about Trixie, but he had no solid reason not to let the man around her, unfortunately. 

Still, he had seen Pierce taking Lucifer's place more and more, nosing in on Chloe's cases so that the consultant was shunted to the side. And Chloe had gone along with it. Sure, she probably hadn't noticed at first, but then she had started doing it to him too.

He wasn't overly surprised that they were finally over – apparently – but he was a little surprised that Chloe had blown up at him. He hadn't witnessed most of the row himself, but, from what he had heard, Chloe was accusing Lucifer about being jealous, while he once again attempted to warn her about Pierce (for some strange reason...), and then...well. He hadn't expected her to pull his mental afflictions – whatever they actually were – into it, because that was just cruel. But she had, and it was done now.

Lucifer and Chloe were officially over. He had seen her storming to the LT's office, headed to put in official notice for a new partner. Pierce, unsurprisingly, would be working with her until she got someone assigned. Human resources would no doubt be furious, but neither seemed to care – or even acknowledge that fact. Still, they didn't seem to give a damn about their rules, what with having sex in the damn evidence closet... And Chloe seemed to think no one knew...

Scoffing in disgust at the thought, Dan entered Ella's lab, checking to make sure they were the only two there before closing it behind himself to give them some privacy.

Ella looked up from her microscope, and offered him a sad little smile. "Pretty crap about Lucifer and Chloe, huh," She observed, and he nodded with a sigh, coming over to lean against her middle table.

"Yeah," He muttered. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I hated the guy when he first started working here, but now... He didn't deserve that." 

Ella grimaced in agreement. "Yeah," She replied. "Didn't think Chloe was going to snap, though! They seemed to be working fine together on this last case!"

Dan snorted. "For once. Probably because the Lieutenant wasn't shoving his way in as usual," 

Ella frowned. "Right... I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the two of them together, just... They were pretty crappy to Luce."

Ella loved her friends, and she was super excited for Chloe, but...well, she had noticed how down Lucifer had seemed recently. There was a seriousness that wasn't usually there in his eyes almost constantly, and she had noticed a growing tension between the two partners for a while now. Everyone always thought she was busy with her work, but they didn't realise that she noticed things. It was one of the reasons she was drawn to Lucifer: their trip to Vegas had confirmed it for her, the detail he recalled meeting Candy with confirming that he had an eidetic memory. Ella too noticed everything – generally – and she had seen the distance a mile off. She noticed too how Chloe and Dan seemed to minimise whatever Lucifer was going through, brushing whatever he said off as delusions. She noticed how he pretty much stopped talking about his problems, even if he was distracted on a case and – true to form – used their cases to sort out his own personal issues. Still, even with Ella's natural skills – honed over years of growing up with four brothers who could spring something on her at any moment so she had to be ready – she hadn't seen this coming. Not so soon, anyway.

"Think we should go over to Lux tonight?" She suggested. "Commiserate together – get blind drunk with Lucifer?"

Dan chuckled, and nodded. "Yeah, sounds good," And how he had changed, never having thought that he would one day agree to anything like this... "Down in the club, or do you reckon we should see if he wants to have a pity party in his place? We could bring food and movies, or something."

Ella brightened, nodding happily, "Yeah, I'll ask him – great idea, man!"

"How does eight sound?" Dan arched an eyebrow, "Check with him, obviously, but that work for you?"

She nodded happily, already pulling out her phone to text their colourful friend. "Yep, sounds good. I'll keep you posted!"

Dan nodded, tapping the desk with the file he carried twice, before exiting the lab, leaving Ella behind to text away.

Ella Lopez: Hey man 😭 Pity party to commiserate? Me and Dan hoping we could come through tonight to get drunk with you

L. Morningstar: Far be it for me to deny you your desires, Miss Lopez 😉😈 

Ella Lopez: Awesome dude! 😄 You feeling up to company?

L. Morningstar: I already have some, but the more the merrier, m'dear 🙂

Ella Lopez: ...we're not interrupting anything, are we?

L. Morningstar: Not at all. My brother and his partner are here – you and Daniel are more than welcome to join us tonight.

Ella Lopez: Dude!!! I had no idea Amenadiel had a partner!

L. M orningstar: 🤣🤣🤣 Not Amenadiel – different brother.

Ella Lopez: OMG! Older? Younger?

L. Morningstar: 😈 come over and see for yourselves

Ella Lopez: LMAO sure thing man. How can a girl resist?! We'll be there 😘 8 OK?

L. M orningstar: Certainly. Anything you'd like?

Ella Lopez: We were wondering if we could come up to yours? Maybe bring some food? Don't mind staying down in the club if that's not OK though!

L. Morningstar: By all means, come on up. I'm playing a set tonight, but after that we can head up. Was going to anyway, probably. 

Ella Lopez: Sure we're not interrupting?

L. Morningstar: Not in the slightest, cariña.

She blushed slightly at the endearment, and smiled. 

Ella Lopez: See you tonight then! ☺️

L. Morningstar: 😈

Chuckling to herself, Ella smiled as she got on with her work. She'd let Dan know later, and pick up some food on her way over. Hmm, maybe Mexican... Or burgers? Snacks were a must! But what to buy...?

Humming to herself, Ella set about compiling a mental list as she finished up her work at the microscope.

***

Linda was in shock. Sure, she had been a little worried about the state of Lucifer and Chloe's relationship and the seemingly growing gulf between them – if he would just man up and show her the truth! – but she had never, NEVER expected this!!! She had assumed, rightly she thought, that Lucifer would do what he usually did when she was mad at him about something or other. Roll over and act like a puppy – an annoying puppy, maybe, constantly trying to please her and generally just being a nuisance – it was, after all, his go-to state where the other woman was concerned. She had thought he would do anything to keep her friendship, at least.

This? She had not been expecting this.

Maybe a break up in partnership, maybe. But certainly not his reaction to it.

He wasn't upset. He wasn't self-destructive. He wasn't desperately trying to win back any tiny scrap of her affection.

He was cool. He was calm, calculated, collected, and angry. 

Yes, she was not expecting this. She had been looking at Lucifer as a human, she knew. A normal human with cosmic problems who had stunted emotional growth and didn't know how to deal with his emotions or normal every-day interactions with normal, everyday people.

She should really remember more often that he was a timeless, immortal being who had been around since before even this planet existed, let alone her species, and who had ruled actual Hell for eons.

He was used to betrayals. He was used to being in control. He was powerful. He was untouchable.

He was radiating grim surety and lazy confidence – well-earned lazy confidence – as he explained to her that he wasn't worried about Chloe actually marrying Cain. No, he had a plan about that – and it wasn't even about her anymore, Doctor Linda. No, now it was more about Cain himself.

"But...surely you're upset about the split?" Linda tried to get the session back on the track she would have expected something like this to have gone. "I mean, I know you two have been drifting apart, but you've seemed really worried about that. Now you're...fine?"

One elegant eyebrow arched, and a flicker of amusement danced in the Devil's eyes. "My dear Doctor, I'm sure you would be proud of me – you see, lately I've been doing a fair amount of thinking. Soul-searching, if you will," He added with a smirk, before continuing: "I'm sure I've mentioned it in our sessions, but it has done wonders for me. You see, I've come to some conclusions, and I am fairly disgusted with myself for my actions. I have been clinging to a past friendship – the original Detective Decker, if you will. She was one of the very, very few who can resist me, who can offer a challenge of sorts, and she was interesting. I liked that about her in the beginning. 

"And yes, she did become my friend. I came to care for her, and her for me. I allowed myself to feel vulnerable around her, which, in turn, may have made me vulnerable around her. A situation which, hopefully, is rectified – or rather, soon will be." 

Linda stared, and held up a hand to halt him. "Hold up. Your mortality? You've worked it out?" She had had similar thoughts herself in the past, but had brushed it off with the revelation of Chloe being an honest-to-God miracle. She still wasn't sure about the purpose of that ... 

Lucifer brushed an imaginary piece of lint from his suit trousers. "Yes, I believe so. I have, after all, managed to reclaim my Devil face. It appears to all be a matter of belief." He grimaced. "Hence with my infernal wings as well."

Linda felt a frisson of alarm zip up her spine. "You're not thinking of cutting them off again?!"

He scoffed, scowling slightly. "No, I gave you my word I would refrain from doing that. Besides, now I am fairly certain my father is not – directly – involved in this. It would appear to be...well, how He made us. Although self-actualisation sounds a monumentally stupid idea to me. Then again, this from the Idiot who decided to make a murderer immortal..." He shrugged, as if to say 'what can you do?'.

Because this was her life now. No lie things had been far simpler (and safer) when she had thought him a delusional human like everyone else. Though she wouldn't go back to her state of blissful ignorance, not for anything: the benefits far outweighed the bad, if she was honest with herself.

"Self-actualisation? How do you figure?" She was impressed he had managed to come to these conclusions, and, having heard his rants in the run up to this apparent revelation, was as invested as he was in hearing this. Not to mention, professional and morbid curiosity. 

"Well, Michael has been most helpful," Lucifer admitted, name-dropping as usual with no regard for her poor mortal mind who only knew of these beings from mythology and religion. Michael... damn. Well, at least she had had some forewarning about him in very recent times. She had yet to meet the archangel, but she had been surprised – and beyond pleased – when Lucifer had casually mentioned his twin stopping by for a visit, and no, they were not mortal enemies intent on killing-slash-maiming-slash-otherwise-discorporating each other, nor were either of them interested in inciting the apocalypse. Because that may or may not be A Thing.

(What was her life...)

"He has never seen me as a monster, and gets bloody touchy whenever such a notion is brought up. With my face...well, he pointed out the obvious. My face was not something I chose to look like – consciously or subconsciously. Rather, it is old scars – in order to fully lose it, I would need to have been healed. Which I have not been. Ergo, perhaps it was something I did that resulted in my being unable to summon it." He shrugged, looking uncomfortable as always as they got into his emotions. Still, at least he was talking. Lucifer clamming up was far worse, in her experience. A quiet Devil was usually a sign for caution... "As for my wings, well... I did stop Mum, and prevented a war. A nice, peaceful resolution with no bloodshed – begging your pardon, of course, as you were severely wounded. But nobody died in the war that would have been unavoidable had she returned to Heaven. So, I suppose I...felt good. Like an angel, as ghastly cliché as that may be. In feeling better about myself, I accidentally gave myself back my wings. In not feeling like the Devil, I took away my face. Not really, of course: more...I froze my glamour, I suppose you could say."

He shrugged again, obliviously skipping past several things she would perhaps come back to at a later date. Glamour? Old scars? That face was scars from... injuries? Holy Hell... Right now, she didn't even want to contemplate that. Nope, not going near it with a ten foot pole. More important things... "Anyway, it appears to be about how we feel – deep down – about ourselves." He turned thoughtful for a moment. "In fact, that is probably the case for Amenadiel as well. Hmm...should probably speak with him about that at some point. Get him off my back about 'redeeming' me to redeem himself, the great pillock..." He shook himself out of the tangent with an eye-roll. "Anyway, back to the mortality sitch: I felt vulnerable – apparently – therefore I became vulnerable. Bloody great design flaw if you ask me – why on earth would anyone want to be physically vulnerable in only certain situations?! Bloody inconvenient, in my experience – " (And wasn't that the truth, going by what she had heard over the years of his time with the Detective) "So, hopefully, now that I've worked that out, I can rectify it."

She nodded slowly, taking in the information he was loading her up with, and then turning back to the situation at hand. "So, Chloe? And your partnership?" 

His lips pursed, and he nodded pensively, finger tap-tap-tapping on his crossed leg in a tic she had noticed ages ago. "Yes, the Detective. Not that she's worthy of that title, in some cases," He added with yet another eye-roll, and Linda stiffened slightly. What? Lucifer insulting Chloe? Well, this was a surprise. "It seems more plain stupidity these days than wilful ignorance anymore. Did you know the spawn knows who I am?" He added with a sudden, bright grin. "Apparently she's known I'm the Devil since we met. Wonderful little terror, that one. No fear, apparently. Nearly laughed in my face for suggesting she would be afraid."

Linda smiled. "That sounds wonderful," She commented, though mentally adding a small note to maybe talk to Trixie (because who else could he have been talking about, really) some time soon: poor child, it was hard enough as an adult taking this in. Then again, knowledge of a bigger universe and a whole soap opera cast of non-humans going on around her was maybe easier to take in as a child than as an adult with a lifetime of entrenched views to the contrary...

"Yes, she has surprised me. And she got on with Michael too, which is surprising I suppose. He's notoriously prickly." Here he shrugged. "Not so much on earth, but certainly in Heaven these days so I've heard. Still," He scowled again. "You mentioned the Detective? Well, I can't say I'm overly surprised she decided she no longer wants the pleasure of my company. A few weeks ago I would have been...disturbed," Understatement, Linda thought, but didn't comment, "But I have since come to review our recent relationship. And what I have been reviewing, I haven't liked, per say."

Now they were getting to the thick of it. "How so?"

"Well it's quite simple, Doctor," Lucifer replied silkily, casually uncrossing his legs and crossing them the other way, leaning back again into the couch cushions in a manner which she could only ever describe as regally. "I am fed up of having everything I say brushed aside as delusions. Of being called a liar. I have had enough of her constant hounding to tell her what is going on, then her anger when I actually tell her as she brushes anything and everything off as unimportant. Such as when I was kidnapped, if you recall? She refused to believe that was true. When I told her of the Sinnerman, she refused to believe he existed. When Cain told her, she believed, but she has long since stopped giving anything I say any value. 

"She has been pushing me aside on cases more and more, preferring to stupidly spend her time with that former-immortal wanker. Who, incidentally, seems to have chickened out of his supposed burning desire to die. And all the little things have been adding up as well, reducing her estimation in my eyes. Calling me in to sit around and do nothing while she fills out paperwork, complaining about how I don't do it when she refuses to let me. Not to mention her complete disregard for the fact that I can actually take care of myself – at first it was amusing she seemed to think me some pansy civilian, but it has long simply been annoying especially with all the evidence she has seen to the contrary. 

"All told, Doctor, this has been a long time coming. I have foolishly been clinging to our old friendship – not that that was ever any great shakes either, looking back. Why should I bother to value someone who constantly belittles me and insists on her way or no way? You know she won't even let me drive? I know I can be a little OCD about some things, but that woman is compulsively obsessive sometimes. I have been clinging to the absurd notion that I might love this mortal, but, to be honest, the Detective has not been the woman I was developing feelings for for a long time."

Linda stared. Wow. Just...wow. That was a lot of emotional awareness and confession. She had to admit, she was impressed.

"That's...really good, Lucifer." She said, letting out a large breath of air. "Surprising...but really good. Well done."

He arched an eyebrow, more in control than she had seen him in a long time during a session. The manic energy and need to prove himself to Chloe was...well, gone. Huh. "Yes, thank you Doctor. And my thanks to you, as well. It seems our time together has been productive after all."

She smiled at that, nodding her appreciation. "I'm glad." She hesitated, then decided to ask anyway. "But...no regrets? Your partnership. You've worked together for years now, and she is a big part of your life. Are you sure you're ok with this?"

He frowned pensively again. "It will...probably take some adjusting," He admitted quietly. "For now, I am mostly annoyed with her, so that helps. But...I suppose there will be times I miss her." Here he snorted derisively. "After all, I have behaved deplorably over that woman. What I was thinking, I don't know. I mean...I have allowed her to change me, Doctor. Not only in coming to see you, but...did you know I have been curbing much of my personality around her? I even stopped giving out favours for a while, for Hell's sake! And all because she disapproved and I was tired of the judgement. What else would she have tried to change about me had we remained friends? Or even – regrettably – had a relationship? No, it is for the best that that hasn't happened, I think."

As a doctor, Linda was glad her patient had come to these conclusions for himself, though she was admittedly surprised – she hadn't seen any of this coming, and hadn't realised it was that bad. Lucifer generally did nothing but sing Chloe's praises, unless he was bemoaning her inability to accept what he said about who and what he was or anything remotely relating to that as truth. As a woman though...well, she was upset for both her friends. How on earth had everything come to this?

"And you're not...ah, going to go on a bender? Have an orgy? Imbibe copious amounts of alcohol?" As his previous breakdowns had indicated...

He gave her a distinctly shark-like grin. "Well now, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Yes, a good orgy would be very nice indeed... But no, Doctor, to answer your question, I am not going to go off the deep end over Decker and her decisions." He shrugged. "There is, after all, still work to be done."

"...Cain?"

"Cain." He affirmed. "I suppose I shouldn't really tell you this, but, as there is doctor-patient confidentiality," He shot her a piercing look, apparently knowing about the very few times she had been lax on that front, "I suppose I can."

"Tell me what?"

"There's an official investigation into Pierce. Cain. Whatever. The officer in charge knows the truth, so that makes things easier."

Linda was surprised. "At the LAPD?"

"No. FBI. They're keeping it quiet – seems the 'Sinnerman' has his fingers in a lot of pies. They don't want word getting to Pierce or any of his lackeys before they can arrest them so they don't have time to run."

She nodded slowly. Because this was her life now... "And the LAPD has no idea? Chloe? Dan? Ella?"

He snorted slightly. "No. None of them would believe it, anyway. Charlotte knows, though. She's helping gather and compile evidence." He glanced at his watch, then stood to leave in one smooth movement. "Well, Doctor, it seems that's all we have time for today. I'm afraid I have plans this evening that I really can't miss."

"Plans?" Linda couldn't help but ask, worried despite his reassurance that he may be going to go on a self-destructive bender.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Yes, Doctor, plans. Daniel and Miss Lopez are coming over, apparently. And Michael and Arienwen are still around. Feel free to join us, if you like."

She smiled. "I might stop by Lux for a drink. I do have a lot of paperwork though, so I might not – I'd quite like to get some sleep tonight!"

He chuckled, then let himself out of her office with a wave and a casual goodbye.

Well. That just happened.

***

Special Agent Danica – as she was currently going by – had been after Cain for a long time. A long time. She had come to earth not long into his punishment to stay permanently. An injured wing trying to get to Hell to see one of her favourite brothers, and none of her dick family had bothered to help her.

Michael and Lucifer had been furious when they had come across her a couple thousand years later. They had healed her, but she hadn't bothered returning to Heaven very often. Luckily for Amenadiel, she hadn't had the misfortune to come across him yet – not since he had pompously said her injury was what she deserved, and she could bloody well stay on earth and learn her lesson (she was paraphrasing… mostly). 

Still, she had kept in sporadic touch with the Twins. Lucifer was rarely out of Hell, and then only for a couple of days, maybe a week at most. And Michael, well he had his hands full with Dad's flying monkey squad. 

Danica – a shout-out to her brother and a small form of rebellion herself, as anyone with any understanding of Hebrew or Slavic names would know – had been busy herself, what with her on-going vendetta with Cain. He knew she couldn't kill him, and he couldn't kill her either. And, so far, he had been able to get out of any prisons he was thrown in – earlier fortifications being pretty easy to break out of when you knew you would come back to life after dying. 

But she wasn't giving up. Hell no. The man was a lunatic, and she held a deep hatred for him personally as well. He was a dick, basically. No remorse for what he had done to his brother when she had met him, nor anything else since then. In fact, he seemed to think himself justified in building up his various little criminal enterprises. Feeling that, hey, God made me immortal and pretty much unaging. He must know that means not staying in normal society for long, therefore Cain justified his actions as necessary. Stealing and killing to survive. Not that he needed any help to survive, but she supposed it was a way to live his life.

He had not raised himself any in her estimation the times he had elevated himself to be worshipped, shamelessly utilising the (idiotic) immortality her Father had granted him. He knew she was after him, and delighted in taunting her. She had never definitively won – he could always get away, it wasn't like she could convince people he was immortal very often, especially in recent centuries. And she was forbidden from revealing divinity, and all that.

It was easier to have her word taken back in the day, when people were still devout and had some semblance of religion. Then again, she was also a woman. Detrimental to her efforts, as time went on.

And now it was a digital age, where both she and Cain had to be careful of their non-aging, non-dying ways.

He was an adaptable bastard, she had to give him that.

Danica had lost him temporarily. He was a slippery bastard, and he had managed to disappear for a bit. She had heard growing legends of a so-called 'Sinnerman' over the past century or so, but hadn't been able to pin down that it was him for a while. Then it came to proving it, but the bastard kept giving her the slip since she had to work through official channels herself.

Then she had run into Lucifer. And Cain had pissed him off too.

Oh, how she loved her older brother.

He was working with law enforcement too. Only, his colleagues were apparently idiots, and generally thought the sun shone out of Cain's arse. Apparently his partner was even marrying him. Huh. Humans. 

So Danica was working with her brother – not closely, but still working with him in an (un)official capacity. She had to admit it was handy having other agents in the know. Agent Mac, a contact of Lucifer's and hers, was one such agent. He was a profiler, and knew there was something off about Lucifer when they had met – though she wasn't entirely sure how or when said meeting had come about, other than it had weirded out the human when he thought that Lucifer was human. Apparently learning that he was not had been a relief. Not the usual reaction to her brother, she knew... Still, the Agent knew both of them, and was actually a good friend to her. He knew a little about her past, but he didn't pry.

He was also a brilliant asset to investigating Pierce. It was a close knit team they had built, knowing that they could trust no-one – none of the humans were above corruption, not even in the FBI. Still, they were getting there. Slowly but steadily, they were getting there. Unravelling the Sinnerman's network was taking some doing, but it would be worth it in the end.

It was a mixed blessing when the LAPD – and Detective Chloe Decker, her brother's partner – had investigated the Sinnerman themselves. They had 'killed' him, but Decker apparently refused to entertain the notion that they could have got the wrong. Good in that it brought the existence of the Sinnerman to light for them, and good that they thought he was now dead so that – hopefully – those in his pocket would lower their guard and not expect their head to be removed. Actually, a lot of them probably didn't even know their Lieutenant was a criminal mastermind, the damn organisation was so secretive and information-packaged. Also bad that they thought he was dead at their hands: now the officers not corrupted would have their guards down, not expecting there to be a Sinnerman anymore. Naive of them, perhaps, but hey: humans. Also, Pierce looked to them like a damn hero for supposedly taking out the notorious crime boss.

She was going to enjoy taking that bastard down.

And, best of all, he was mortal now. How, she wasn't sure, but she believed her brothers intel. Let's see him wriggle out like he had before now .

Hah.

Chapter Three

Chloe Decker closed her front door behind her later that evening and then leaned back against it, head tilted up and eyes closing in exhaustion.

It had been a long day.

"Hi Mom!"

Her mood immediately lifting, Chloe looked round with a smile for her daughter on the sofa as she came fully into their front room. "Hi Monkey. How was school?"

She got a disinterested shrug – her daughter was going to be a teenager in a few short years, and wasn't that a scary thought... "It was OK," The girl replied. "How was work?"

Chloe winced internally – so much for a distraction... She was not looking forwards to telling her daughter about Lucifer. "It was OK too, Monkey," She replied, avoiding the subject as she sank onto the sofa next to the girl with an exhausted sigh. "We caught the bad guy no problem!"

Trixie grinned. "Cool! How?" She had been showing an increasing interest lately, what with her private thoughts becoming more consumed by 'Detective Trixie'. Not that she really told her mother about that. 

"Ah, well..." She shrugged, deciding she might as well give Lucifer some credit. After all, her daughter loved the man, and would hopefully be content with some nice snippets. Anything to not tell her that her mother had fired her friend... "Well, Lucifer cheated. You know how he does that...desire hypnosis thing?" Trixie nodded, though privately thought her mother was silly still trying to convince herself and her daughter it was hypnosis. Detective Trixie was pretty sure it wasn't, thank you very much. "Well, turns out our perps 'deepest desire' was to get away with the murder!"

Trixie giggled at the ridiculousness of that. "Really?!"

"Yeah!" Chloe grinned back, glad for this small moment of happiness with her daughter. "It was really funny! Though Lucifer really shouldn't cheat so often," She quickly wiped off a frown at the thought that she would no longer have access to that skill set thanks to her own harsh judgement.

But she stood by what she said: she could not deal with his crazy anymore, and he was driving her mad as a person now anyway. Better for her to get far away from him.

Life would be better now without Lucifer in it. It would.

Trixie was arching an eyebrow at her, in an expression eerily similar to one certain civilian consultant. "It's not cheating, Mom. You use all your skills, right?"

Chloe just sighed. "Regardless, baby, he shouldn't do it so much." Not that she had a good reason for him not to, but hey...

Trixie just gave her a weird look, then shrugged. "Whatever, Mom. What's for dinner?"

Ah, the eternal question of raising a child... At least she had changed the subject away from Lucifer...

***