"Mom, can River come over after school tomorrow?" Trixie stood in the doorway, her phone held loosely at her side.
"River who?" Chloe asked, frowning as she tried to think of a classmate with that name. There were three Emmas and four Brooklyns, but she couldn't remember a River.
"DeMars," Trixie replied, her dark eyes sparkling in delight, maybe at the name, maybe at the new friend, and Chloe felt her heart warm at her daughter's pleasure. "River's new, and eats lunch at my table, and we're doing a science project together."
Chloe smiled, already ready to say yes, though first she asked, "Did one of River's parents say it was okay?" She'd learned to ask that, after a panicked call from Donovan's mother let her know that the children hadn't checked with her before Donovan had come in for lunch. When Trixie was smaller and everything had been arranged by the parents, it had been different. Now, with the kids planning their own get-togethers, she had to double-check. She loved Trixie's increasing independence, though the thought of the future and a completely independent Trixie tugged at her heart a little bit.
Trixie grinned ruefully, but then her expression went puzzled. "I… kind of?"
"Babe, you know you have to ask both kids' parents," Chloe prompted, and Trixie nodded.
"I know. But she's not River's mom. River calls her Jenny."
"She's not my mom," echoed a voice from Trixie's phone.
Trixie held up the phone to reveal that she was Facechatting with her classmate, presumably River. The child's riotous red curls were adorable, and made Chloe think of the old Annie movie. She liked the new one, but the old one had a fond place in her heart, for all that it brought back memories of her mother agitating for her to play Annie in that school play. The red wig had not suited her, and had itched.
"She's my foster mom," River continued, drawing Chloe's attention back to the present. "But she knows, and she says it's fine. I can come home with Trixie, and she can pick me up after. If it's okay with you," the child added, with a dimpled smile.
Chloe couldn't help but return the smile. "That sounds great. Can I talk to her?"
"Mo-om," Trixie groaned. "You don't have to check."
"I kinda do," Chloe replied, though River had already vanished from the screen.
After a moment, an older woman appeared on the phone. "Just look there," River prompted from off-screen. "That's Trixie's mom."
"Hi, Trixie's mom," Jenny said, still peering dubiously into the camera. "I'm Jenny. It's fine with me if River comes over, and I can do pickup whenever you like. Trixie's been such a sweetheart. It's tough for River, being in a new school."
"Chloe," Chloe supplied, trying to focus on the phone while Trixie was holding it. "Trix, can I… thanks." She took the phone from her daughter, adding, "I'm glad to hear she's been nice. Is there anything I should be aware of?"
Jenny nodded. "No pictures of River on social media, please. I wouldn't think I'd have to ask folks not to post pictures of other people's kids, but it happened with a previous foster child, and a relative ended up trying to get to him." Her grimace suggested that it hadn't ended well. "River's situation is different, but it's still my rule."
"Of course," Chloe agreed. "It's just Trix and me here tomorrow night, and neither of us will post anything. Oh, and my -"
She hesitated long enough over her word choice that Trixie chimed in gleefully, "Her boyfriend might come over."
Chloe sighed, but couldn't keep the smile from crossing her face, even though she really didn't like the word "boyfriend." What she and Lucifer had felt like more.
She was aware that she and Lucifer looked stupidly happy on a regular basis, but couldn't really find it in herself to care. They'd been keeping things quiet, but of course Trixie and Maze knew, and Dan did as well. He had been having the occasional dinner at Chloe's apartment, as he said his place was too quiet. He'd eased off on that, though, as he saw Chloe and Lucifer growing closer. And for all Chloe knew, the entire precinct had guessed about her and Lucifer as well.
There had been rumors of a betting pool. She didn't really want to know if they were true, or whether Lucifer was involved.
She didn't mention to Jenny that her, for lack of a better word, boyfriend was the Devil, though. There were some things, after all, that Trixie's friends' guardians didn't need to know. Not if she wanted her kid to have any play dates, ever. "He might come over," she agreed. "But he'll probably, ah, let the kids have their privacy."
Trixie grinned impishly, clearly taking note of her mother's avoidance of Lucifer's general distaste for children. "You can get her around eight," Chloe added, before amending, at Trixie's pleading look, "Or eight-thirty, if that works for you."
"Sounds good," Jenny agreed. "See you tomorrow." She passed the phone back to River, and Chloe handed over Trixie's phone.
"River seems like a nice girl," Chloe offered, but to her surprise Trixie shook her head and mutrd her phone. "What, babe?"
"River's not a girl."
Chloe blinked, but went with it. She knew she shouldn't make assumptions. "Sorry, a nice boy, then."
"It's not like boy and girl are the only options," Trixie observed, and Chloe nodded, murmuring her agreement. Trixie urged, "Don't make a big deal tomorrow, okay?" Chloe lifted her eyebrows, and Trixie confided, "It's not just a neat last name. River's really from Mars. And it works different there. River's not a boy or a girl. River's… I don't know what they're called on Mars. They told me, but I don't speak much Martian yet and I don't remember the word. Martian words are hard," she added. "Their vocal cords are different."
Trixie waited for Chloe's startled nod and then unmuted her phone as she left the room, chattering to someone who seemed to Chloe to be a perfectly normal human, one who was apparently teaching her kid Martian.
Chloe had learned that things weren't always what they appeared to be, but this was just a child's imagination.
Right?
"And Trixie said that River is from Mars?" Linda asked. She and Chloe had been lunching regularly since Chloe had seen Lucifer's face. It wasn't therapy, not really, but Chloe needed an ear on occasion.
Sometimes, so did Linda. It was nice not to be the only human in the know, particularly now that Chloe had recovered from her initial shock. That had been difficult, but Chloe and Lucifer had achieved a careful friendship, one that Linda was pretty sure had turned into something more in the past few weeks. She was glad for Chloe, and not just because she knew about Lucifer's expertise between the sheets.
Well, not that Linda and Lucifer had confined themselves to a bed.
Linda firmly pulled her mind away from that particular train of thought, pleasant as it was, and back to Chloe's predicament: the play date from Mars.
"Yeah. I asked Trix about it again this morning, and she just said, 'Oh, yeah, River's from Mars. They told me so.' Ordinarily I'd think, wow, what an imaginative kid," Chloe replied. "But now… I mean." She lowered her voice. "Angels and demons are real, not just a Dan Brown book. Maybe Martians are, too, and they look like cute little kids."
Chloe's voice trailed off, and she shifted in her chair, her unease made clear. Linda looked down before meeting Chloe's troubled gaze. "Knowing about the, ah, celestial situation changes everything," she said gently. "I know. But there's no reason to think that River really is from Mars. No evidence," she added, with a hint of teasing.
Chloe sat back in her chair, looking a little sheepish. "So what should I do? Ask her - sorry, them where their spaceship is? Or maybe if they're actually little and green under their skin?"
"No need for that," Linda replied with a chuckle. "Just treat River as you would any other kid." She poked at the last of her pasta, then asked, "Has Trixie asked them about the presidency?"
Laughing, Chloe replied, "Maybe, but I was too surprised to ask last night, and this morning we had to get to school. I haven't seen any campaign posters, though, so we're probably safe."
"Well, that's good," Linda said. "There's probably a residency requirement, anyway, and Trixie's a little young to be out of the house."
Chloe nodded, chuckling, but then something like worry flickered across her face. She asked, her voice tentative, "Hey, has Dan been to see you recently? No details," she added, before Linda could mention patient confidentiality. "I just… he hasn't been coming around as much, since - ah, lately, and I worry about him."
Linda smiled. "No details," she agreed, "but yes." Charlotte's murder had shattered Dan, and it was, understandably, taking him a while to bounce back. Lucifer's assurance that Cain was cooling his heels in Hell had helped, once Dan got over the shock of the revelation - "Some detectives we are," he'd said to Chloe - as had finding a new apartment, one where he didn't see Charlotte at every turn.
And he'd sworn he would never touch waffles again.
"Good," Chloe said, her voice just above a whisper. "I worry about him. And I don't want…" her voice trailed off, and she looked away, out the window.
Linda rested a hand on Chloe's, drawing the other woman's attention back to her. "It's okay for you to be happy," she said, her voice gentle. "It's wonderful that you're there for Dan, and it's great that the two of you are so close. Even if you weren't friends, he'd always be part of your life, because of Trixie. But he's the last person who would want you to… deny anything, because of him."
Chloe's gaze sharpened. "Did Lucifer tell you?" she asked, her tone that mingle of exasperation and amusement that Lucifer so often elicited. "We were going to keep things quiet. It's all so new still."
"He didn't say a word," Linda reassured. "But he's been happier. You have been, too. And, well, I do have eyes. Noticing things like that is kind of my job."
Chloe ducked her head, her expression turning embarrassed. "It's not that we didn't want to tell anybody. It's just that we've got a lot to figure out. I mean, my last relationship was, well. Not my finest moment. And Lucifer's never done the romantic thing, not really, so we're taking things kind of slow, giving ourselves time."
Shaking her head, Linda said, her voice warm, "You don't have to explain yourself. I'm so happy for the both of you, though. Taking things as they come sounds like a wonderful idea. And be sure to communicate. Without getting into details, he might need help figuring things out that you think should be obvious."
Chloe looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Yeah, we've come across that. But he's trying, and he's…" A smile blossomed across her face, and she added, "I look silly, right?"
"You do," Linda agreed fondly. "It's wonderful. Look, I have to run to make my next appointment, but let me know how things go with the play date, okay?"
Chloe nodded. "If H. G. Wells starts broadcasting over Trixie's phone," she joked, "You'll be the first person I call."
The best word to describe the urchin, Lucifer decided, was scruffy. He'd only seen the child for a moment before she disappeared off with Beatrice to do something that seemed to involve a lot of giggling and the occasional shriek of laughter, but he'd seen her long enough to decide, so: scruffy. No, not her; them. Chloe had given Lucifer River's pronouns, and then had said something about Mars that Lucifer frankly hadn't paid attention to, as Chloe had worn her hair down, and he'd been watching the way the light made it gleam. Even the sunshine loved Chloe, as well it should, since he had made the sun.
But the child. They wore a too-big t-shirt, its faded blue marred by a small stain that suggested some sort of tomato product. He'd seen the words on the shirt, too: Only Visiting This Planet.
Well. It wasn't like they didn't have plenty of options, planet-wise, though most would prove to be inhospitable.
Lucifer didn't care, though. It didn't even bother him, really, that the child's shoes were purple and their socks were neon green.
Purple shoes, with that ensemble, though he had to admit that he wondered where the child had found purple penny loafers.
No. No. He didn't. What he was interested in was Chloe, and the movie they weren't particularly watching.
Not that he could expect too much to happen that evening; not with the children in the apartment. He'd learned that one, and the one about the need to wear something when the child was around, the hard way.
And while he would enjoy it if something happened, he was content just to be with Chloe, knowing that she knew his true identity, actually believed him, and still wanted to be with him.
He was still waiting for her to come to her senses on that front, no matter how many times she told him she loved him.
She loved him. If that wasn't the world's greatest miracle, he didn't know what was. And she seemed perfectly willing to tell him so on a regular basis, perhaps sensing how much he needed to hear it.
No, he didn't mind at all that they weren't doing any more than cuddling: the Devil, cuddling! He knew Maze would smirk if she saw, but she wasn't likely to come pounding on her former roommate's door, as she was off chasing a human. Lucifer was even reasonably certain that it was for a bounty this time. So he enjoyed Chloe's warmth and closeness, and the feel of her hand on his, and the smell of her… well, that might be her fabric softener. Maybe she'd pulled a shirt out of the laundry just before he'd come over. The smell was prosaic, but hers, and thus beloved.
Less beloved was the crash from the child's room, and the resulting wail. Chloe stiffened next to him, and he felt her sigh more than heard it. "Let me…"
"Of course," Lucifer agreed, easing back so that Chloe could go tend to her daughter. He grabbed the remote and paused the movie that they hadn't been watching. It only took a moment for Chloe to usher Beatrice toward the bathroom, the spawn holding a bloody cloth to her mouth.
"She'll be fine," Chloe said, her tone smooth and pleasant. The Nice Mum voice, Lucifer mused, the one that said that everything was going to be all right. His mother had used it, back in the early days. When the Nice Mum voice had gone away, that was one of the first signs that things had started to go wrong. She'd tried using that voice again when she'd come to Earth, but by then it was too late. He'd grown too used to the way things had become.
"Of course, she'll be right as rain," Lucifer agreed, though not without some concern. Humans were so fragile. But Chloe didn't seem upset, so it would probably be fine.
Trixie tried to smile around the cloth, though her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "M'okay," she managed.
So Lucifer settled back against the couch as the pair made their way into the bathroom. He idly flipped through the Knife Depot catalog that he assumed Maze had left on the coffee table, though it wasn't long before a small cough drew his attention.
Ah, the urchin in the ill-fitting shirt had made an appearance. "Mister Morningstar?"
He looked over the top of the catalog. "Yes, child?"
"I want to make a deal," they said, their gaze steady. "For a favor."
Lucifer chuckled, setting the catalog aside. "And how do you know to come to me for a favor?"
Narrow shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "You're Lucifer Morningstar. You make things happen. Word gets around."
That it did, though he hadn't realized it had gone so far. "Word gets around in primary schools," he said, letting irony tint his voice.
The child moved to perch on the arm of the couch. "I heard some teachers talking in the cafeteria."
"And what did they say?" Lucifer queried, amused and not a little pleased.
"They like your clothes," the child replied, swinging one purple shoe. "And your nightclub. I guess they go there a lot?"
Lucifer quipped, "Wouldn't you, if you had to deal with hordes of children all day? I ought to have a teacher discount," he decided. "They deserve it." Noting the child's skeptical expression, he turned his attention back to them.
"So do you?" they asked. Something of his puzzlement must have shown in his face, because they added, a little too patiently, "Favors. Do you do favors for people? Make things happen?"
"Sometimes," Lucifer replied. "And sometimes I get other people to do the favors, on account of them owing me. But what favor would you want?" he asked. "A pony? Ooh, or is somebody bullying you? I'm good with bullies, just ask Beatrice."
That caught the child's attention. "Somebody is bullying Trixie?" they asked, their expression growing dark.
Lucifer smiled. On reflection, he probably showed too many teeth, but the child didn't seem perturbed. "Not any more."
"Good. But if you did a favor for Trixie, then you do favors."
They were a persistent little thing. Lucifer couldn't help but admire that. "Technically that time it wasn't -" Lucifer sighed. It wasn't worth the effort of explaining that Beatrice's pluck had amused him, reminded him of her mother, so he had handled her bully situation gratis. "Yes, I do favors. Sometimes. When it suits me." He straightened his jacket, amused by his own wordplay. The child didn't seem impressed, though. "All right, then," Lucifer said, humoring her. "What favor would you like?"
They took a deep breath, then said, with a plaintiveness that seemed entirely unfeigned, "I want to go home."
Lucifer managed not to let his face show the wrenching feeling the child's words brought. No, he did not wish to return to the Silver City, but during those first, awful years in Hell, he had wanted nothing so much as home, and to hear a child asking that of him, seeing that look of painful hope on their face, it was almost too much.
"I'm assuming you're not just asking for a ride back to the house where you're staying?" Lucifer ventured, and the child shook their head.
He attempted to remember what Chloe had said at work that day. He'd tried to listen, truly, but had been too focused on the shape of her mouth, and thinking of things other than speaking that her lips could be doing… but not at work. "The Detective said something about trouble at your home," he ventured. "Are you certain that is what you really want?" He made no compulsion color his words, wanting to see what the child would say on their own.
Would they lie to him?
"Nothing's wrong at home," they replied, and if they were lying, Lucifer couldn't tell.
"But you're living with this Jenny," he prompted. "She's not your mum, yes?"
The child nodded, agreeing, "Jenny isn't my mom. My mom is gone."
"Oh." And his own loss hit him suddenly. His mother's departure had been for the best, of course, but he had grown accustomed to her presence. And then Charlotte's death: while the pain of that had faded, it had brought his loss to the forefront. "Mine as well," he said, his voice quiet. He met their gaze, and they didn't look away. "Did your father do something he oughtn't?" he asked. "I, well, I understand what that's like, if he hurt you." And if this child's experience was anything like his own, then no. No, he would not do them that favor. And he would find the one who had hurt them and make him answer for his sins.
But the child shook their head. "No, he didn't. He'd never hurt me." They smiled, though wistfully. "He's on Mars. Nothing like that happens on Mars."
Well. Perhaps Lucifer should have paid more attention to the Detective.
"Mars, did you say?" he echoed. "That's some of my best work. I thought the iron oxide gave it a little extra kick."
The child seemed to take that in stride. "Thanks for making it. So… will you? Take me home?"
The spawn didn't seem extraterrestrial, but, really, Lucifer wasn't sure how he would tell. There were certainly other worlds in this universe where humans could live, but Mars wasn't one of them; it wasn't possible without plenty of technological help. In any event, his focus had been this world.
Maybe this was what Chloe had been saying about Mars. He definitely should have paid more attention, but he couldn't have anticipated the situation. This, perhaps, was one of those situations where he should consult with the Detective.
"Possibly," Lucifer replied, his voice cautious.
"Why?" the child replied. Their voice was smooth, but their next words held a hint of challenge. "Can't you do it?"
"Of course I can," he said, stung.
He could. He wasn't entirely certain how, but he could. He could do anything, given enough time.
The spawn grinned up at him. He didn't like children, with the possible exception of Beatrice, but this one's smile was pleasant enough, and so he smiled in return. Older humans often smiled back at the smaller ones, he'd noticed. Maybe it was some sort of training: you show your teeth, I'll show mine.
The child asked, "So then why not just do it? I don't need anything here."
Lucifer gestured toward the bathroom, wondering why Chloe was taking so long. "Wouldn't you want to say your goodbyes?"
They nodded, but persisted, "After that?"
"We'll see," Lucifer replied, biting back a smile as the child made the same wry face that Beatrice made upon hearing her mother use that phrase. "Don't make any farewells yet," he cautioned. "I haven't decided."
They sighed, a long, drawn-out sound, seeming entirely like an exasperated small human. "When will you decide?"
Lucifer looked over, relieved, as Chloe and Beatrice emerged from the bathroom. "Soon," he said.
"I think this calls for popsicles," Chloe announced, heading for the freezer. "Lucifer, would you like one?"
He shook his head, quipping, "I'll just watch you eat yours."
Lucifer did enjoy making her blush. She did not, he noted, take a popsicle for herself, instead busying herself with the sweets for the children. Pity.
Once the children were back in Beatrice's bedroom and Chloe had settled herself next to him on the couch, Lucifer asked, with a gesture toward the bedroom, "What is the child's story?"
"River?" Chloe asked, and Lucifer shrugged. He didn't pay much attention to names, after all. Not until they mattered. He brushed his fingers against the back of Chloe's hand, still marveling at the fact that he could just do that, reach out and touch her.
That she didn't flinch away from him.
In those moments right after Cain's death, he had thought he would lose her forever. The look on her face had shaken him to his core, and it had taken time for her to come to terms with everything. But now, somehow, they had reached some sort of understanding and, well. He wouldn't have chosen for her to find out as she had, but it had worked out well in the end.
Chloe, her lips curving in that half-smile that Lucifer had always loved, looked toward Beatrice's bedroom as she replied, "They were wandering around Koreatown after midnight and an off-duty cop saw them." Her expression sobered, and she added, looking back to Lucifer, "They couldn't give a phone number or any way to contact their parents, so they ended up with Jenny. They keep insisting that their mother is gone and their father is on Mars, that they're from Mars."
"Yes, they said," Lucifer agreed. He hesitated, then said, "I'm not one to doubt people without reason, but this seems…"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, they aren't your typical kid. Jenny called at work today to tell me about them. She's taking them to therapy every week, but River's sticking to the story. And, well, they know a lot about Mars. More than Trixie, even, and Trix did that big report on Mars last year."
"Children can have intense interests," Lucifer offered. When Chloe regarded him, again with that puzzled smile, he added hastily, "Or so I'm told."
"Yeah, but there's something… I don't know." Chloe settled against him, and Lucifer drew her closer, easing an arm around her shoulder. He reveled in her nearness and brushed his lips lightly against her temple. Her contented sigh at his touch made his heart feel like it couldn't possibly be contained by his body.
Chloe continued, "Most of the time they're fine, act like a normal kid. But sometimes they seem a little… off. It could be something in their past, but I don't know."
Lucifer was loathe to disrupt the moment, but he admitted, "They asked me for a favor. They want to go back to their home."
"What?" Chloe eased away, her eyes wide and shocked. "You didn't tell them you would, did you? Lucifer, we don't have a clue where they live, what their home situation is like. Did they give an address?"
"Mars," Lucifer replied succinctly, and Chloe sighed. "I didn't answer them either way," he added. "Told them I'd let them know soon. They said their mum's gone, but that their father is on Mars, as you said. I asked if he'd hurt them," he said, his voice lowering. "And they said no."
"Well, at least there's that," Chloe said dubiously. "But what kind of parent just… abandons their child?"
Lucifer exhaled a soft sigh and shook his head. "I'm hardly one to ask for advice on good parents, Detective. But are people looking into it, trying to find a relative?"
Chloe nodded. "They'll keep us posted," she said, as she nestled against him once more, and Lucifer found himself thinking less and less about Beatrice's odd friend.
Trixie flopped onto her bed, barely catching the drip from her cherry popsicle before it landed on her comforter. Mom always said that popsicles were a good cure for a bumped mouth, and she wasn't going to argue.
"You okay?" River asked as they sat criss-cross applesauce at the foot of the bed. They had chosen a lime popsicle, which was fine with Trixie. Lime was her least favorite. Maze had always eaten them before, said she liked how they had a little bite to them, and then she'd made that face that always made Trixie laugh, showing her teeth. But… no. Thinking about Maze still hurt, and made her angry, and… it was like when her dad had left, only worse, because her dad had never said anything like what Maze had said.
Maze had tried to act like everything was fine, but it still hurt, deep down, and Trixie didn't really want to talk to her. And Maze had come to visit, she'd tried, but it wasn't the same.
"I'm fine," Trixie replied, and she was, mostly. Jumping on the bed, no matter how much River said it was a teensy bit like walking on Mars, hadn't been a good idea. But the popsicle helped.
River finished their popsicle, then did that thing they always did where they put their elbows on their knees and their chin in their hands, and watched. They were good at watching, Trixie had noticed. "Are you sure?"
Trixie nodded as she poked at her lip with her tongue. "It only hurts a little."
"Your mom is nice," River said. "And her boyfriend is… not nice, but he really listened when I talked to him. Did you know he made Mars?"
Trixie felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn't told. She hadn't! "How do you know?" she asked, trying not to sound as scared as she felt. River wouldn't tell, or even if they did, people wouldn't believe them. Not after the whole Mars thing, which even Trixie wasn't sure she believed, even though she really wanted to. Even though she wasn't sure, she just pretended really hard, because it seemed like River wanted someone to believe them.
"He told me," River replied, looking at Trixie like maybe she was from Mars. "Is that a big deal?"
Trixie shrugged. It was. It was a really big deal that Lucifer was the Devil and Maze was a demon and Amenadiel was an angel. And there was something about her mom's old boyfriend, the one that Trixie hadn't really liked even though her mom had seemed happy with him, even if he had said he'd liked chocolate cake. Trixie had overheard bits of a conversation between the grown-ups. Her mom had looked sick and Doctor Linda had given her a hug, but they'd gotten quiet when they'd seen Trixie. Whoever he really was, he was gone, and Lucifer was way better.
"Not many people know," Trixie said, trying to be casual. "So you probably shouldn't tell anybody."
"Like anybody would believe me," River replied. "Everybody at school already thinks there's something wrong with me. But not you." They flopped back on the bed, then looked over at Trixie, their green eyes serious. "Do you really believe me, Trixie? That I'm from Mars?"
Trixie took a minute to think about her answer. She didn't want to lie to her friend, but the truth might hurt their feelings. "I don't know," she said finally. "I want to believe you. But you look like me. Do you have…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Another face?" She didn't want to tell River about Maze's other face, or Lucifer's, which she had heard about but hadn't seen despite the fact that she'd begged until her mother gave her that look.
River shook their head. "Not here," she said, to Trixie's disappointment. "Here on Earth I look like an Earthling, because that's the body I need for this environment. I look different on Mars, though."
They sounded so sure of themself that Trixie could help but be drawn in. "Would I look different if I was on Mars?"
With another headshake, River replied, "You're still an Earthling, even on Mars. You'd need a spacesuit if you came to visit."
Trixie closed her eyes, imagining. "What's your favorite part about Mars?"
"The water," River replied, her voice thoughtful. "You can't see it most of the time, as it's deep below the surface. Sometimes it makes its way to the surface, but it's always there, whether we can see it or not."
"Is that why you picked River for your Earthling name?" Trixie asked, opening her eyes, and River nodded.
"I mean, technically it's not a river," they admitted, "but it sounded nicer than 'Groundwater Source.'"
Trixie giggled at the thought. "Tell me more about Mars," she wheedled, and River stretched out next to her on the bed.
"Well, it's colder than here," River began. "Which of course you already know, but it's fine for Martians because our bodies are different."
Trixie smiled as she listened as River spun their tale. She could almost picture herself walking on Mars with her friend.
Was it real? Trixie didn't know. But as River spoke, she found she didn't care. She wanted it to be true.
"Are you coming in?" Trixie, her bag looped over her shoulder, peered at him through her open car door.
Dan let his gaze slide to Lucifer's Corvette, which was two spaces over. "I don't think so, Monkey. Not today."
Trixie looked over at the car as well. "They don't mind, Dad. They're your friends."
Sometimes Dan thought that his daughter was too perceptive. "They are," he agreed. "But I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Trixie smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, then ran into the apartment, her braids flying behind her like streamers.
Dan watched her to make sure she got inside, then closed his eyes and sighed. He knew that Chloe and Lucifer wouldn't mind if he came in for dinner; in fact, they'd welcome him. And he was happy that they had found each other, truly.
It just hurt. It hurt to see the way they smiled when their fingers touched as they passed a plate, or how Lucifer lit up - not literally, thank goodness, though Dan wondered if that was possible, knowing what he knew - when he saw Chloe.
Dan knew he and Chloe weren't good together as a couple, and he wasn't jealous that she was with Lucifer. He was just jealous of them, together. Of what he didn't have.
And, okay, he was angry, too. He wasn't sure where he was on those stages of grief, but it felt like a ping-pong match some days.
Moving had helped, and Linda did her best; he was only seeing her once a week now, which felt like progress.
It was just, dammit. If there was a God, which obviously there was, how could he have let this happen? Was he pissed off that Dan had been dating the woman who had previously contained his ex-wife?
Yeah. Dan was still trying to wrap his head around that one. Charlotte hadn't always been Charlotte. It explained a lot, though Dan often thought about would have happened if Lucifer's mother hadn't taken over Charlotte. She would have died before he'd gotten to know her.
And, yeah, he'd had sex with Lucifer's mother, the actual Goddess of Creation.
That explained a lot.
So Dan had found himself talking to God a lot lately, though he wasn't sure which God. His former lover's ex? His friend's - for Lucifer was, despite everything, his friend - abusive father? Certainly not the vaguely benign deity of his lukewarm Christian upbringing. But he had to talk to someone, and God was always there, apparently.
Dan started the car and drove, despite what he had told Trixie, back to the precinct. He'd been spending more time there than he probably should, though less since he'd managed the new apartment. Now, though, he had a particular reason, though the case wasn't exactly his: Trixie's new friend River.
He'd asked around a little when he'd heard about River's situation, particularly after he'd taken Trixie and River to the park. The two kids had played Mars, and he'd thought it was cute until he'd seen River with a faraway, longing look on their face.
Dan recognized that look. He had felt it enough on his own face, when he was thinking about Charlotte.
He would have helped the kid anyway; they were Trixie's friend, and in a tough situation, even though Jenny was a great foster parent. But that look on their face, that had just cemented the deal.
Dan had roped Ella into helping, too, feeling a little bad about how eagerly she'd agreed, when he asked her for help. He figured she was probably excited because he was expressing interest in something. Had he gotten that bad?
Yes, he had thought, and, yes, Linda had told him when he had asked her. He had.
Well.
"How can you let bad stuff happen to little kids?" Dan muttered skyward as he headed into the precinct. The uni he passed gave him an odd look, which Dan ignored. And he wasn't even getting into why God let bad stuff happen to full grown adults who were finally getting their shit together and could maybe use a freaking break.
No. He wasn't going to think about that.
Settling at his desk, he called up the security cam footage closest to where River had been found. He'd gone over it a few times already, but he felt like he would find something, if only he looked more closely.
He would help this kid, since it was clear God wouldn't.
Ella sighed as she made her way back up the precinct steps. She'd planned this. A friend from church, which she had been neglecting lately, had asked if they could get together to watch a movie. Ella assumed pizza would be involved, and probably some sort of drink; if there was one thing St. Brennan's people could do, it was food.
So she'd said yes, and ordered the movie. Sure, she could have watched it digitally, but she wasn't sure what streaming services Marisa had, and they were meeting at Marisa's place. It was easier to watch the special features on DVD anyway.
So Ella had the movie delivered to work, not really minding the chance to chat up the UPS guy. Whatever Ella did or didn't get up to, she didn't mind a good pair of biceps. And the UPS guy was friendly, of course!
And then she'd gone right out the door at quitting time and forgotten the movie. She hadn't realized it until she'd gotten home, which was why she walked through the near-empty bullpen in time to see Dan hunched over his computer.
She pulled out her phone and chose the right number from her contacts. "Hey, Marisa? Can I get a raincheck?"
Marisa sounded puzzled and a little concerned. "Yeah. Everything okay?"
"With me, sure," Ella was quick to assure her. "And I'm not ditching you on purpose, I swear. I've just got a friend having a rough time, and he looks like he could use some company."
Ella could hear Marisa's quiet sigh. "Okay. Send me a text or something when you have more time. I'll pray for your friend. And for you, too."
Ella wasn't sure what to say to that. After all, she had the proof she'd never needed that God was real, and the news she'd never wanted that he was kind of a dick. She went with, "Uh, thanks. I'll text you, yeah."
She and Marisa made their farewells, and Ella put away her phone as she crossed to Dan's side. She'd never met this self-proclaimed Martian that Dan was helping, and she was more concerned about Dan himself. "Hey, you finding anything?"
Dan startled out of his focus, then inhaled sharply as he rubbed his eyes. "No. What time is it?"
Ella told him, then added, "You should have gone home ages ago. I mean, didn't you leave to get Trixie?"
"Yeah," Dan said, looking away as he added, "I came back."
Ella rested a hand on Dan's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get out of here. I've got a ridiculous movie. We can pick up some pizza, but if you want anchovies, you're getting your own, buster."
Dan looked like he was going to protest, but then his shoulders slumped and he nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Ella. I just… really need to get out of my head."
Ella leaned down to hug Dan from behind, and he went tense, but then rested a hand briefly on hers before shutting down his computer and setting his desk to rights.
He took a deep breath and managed a smile that Ella was pretty sure was just for show. "Pizza. Let's go."
Ella had won the argument over which pizza place to choose, primarily because Dan's responses had been half-hearted, so they ended up with an extra-large, extra-cheese, double pepperoni from Lola's, the Italian place around the corner from her apartment, and beer.
That had been Dan's suggestion, but Ella didn't argue. She wanted him to relax, and maybe the beer would help. She used her hip to bump the door shut behind them, and then automatically locked the door. Noting Dan's raised eyebrows, she added, "My neighborhood is better than it looks, but it's still good to be safe. Can you grab plates? There should be some in the drying rack."
Dan nodded and moved to do as she asked. He had been pretty quiet since Charlotte's death, but Ella figured she talked enough for both of them. "You saw the first one, right?"
Dan nodded once more as he set down plates and paper towels. "It was funny."
"Right?" Ella enthused. "The way he kept breaking the fourth wall! It was great!"
"Yeah," Dan agreed, unsmiling, as he cracked a beer. Ella figured he saved whatever cheer he had for his daughter, which was as it should be. She kept up a cheerful patter as she got the movie set up.
As they watched the movie, she noticed that Dan focused more on the beer than on the food, and not at all on the movie. She nudged the box pointedly in his direction, saying, "Come on, eat up."
Dan took a slide of pizza, his manner half-hearted, and Ella paused the movie.
"What?" he asked. "I'm eating." He took an ostentatious bite of the pizza.
"You weren't watching," Ella said. "And we can talk instead."
Dan shifted in his seat and looked away, pointedly chewing his pizza.
"The little kid, River," Ella began, and Dan looked over, perhaps relieved that she wasn't going to talk about Charlotte. "Got any leads?"
"No," Dan said, frowning. "I looked at the security cams all around where she showed up that day, and I can't even figure out how she got to that spot in Koreatown."
"Well, they're little," Ella suggested, but Dan was already shaking his head.
"Not that little. Something should have caught them. I checked everywhere."
Ella leaned back against the couch. "So they just… appeared?"
"I mean, no. Of course not. That's… I mean, it's not possible. Is it?"
Ella shrugged. "I don't know, dude. Considering, well, everything, who knows? But maybe it's not, you know, supernatural. I mean, maybe they're just little and sneaky."
"But they're not," Dan said, with a small, frustrated noise. "River is seriously the most open, honest kid I've ever met, and I am including my own kid in that."
"Wow. 'cause Trixie's a pretty honest kid, right?"
"Of course she is. But kids lie sometimes, all of them, but I don't think River ever has."
Ella leaned a little closer. "Um, Dan? The kid says they're from Mars."
"Okay, except that. But I think they really think they are, you know? I don't think it's, like, a play for attention or anything. I think they really believe it."
"Wow. I mean, think about how bad their life must have been, if saying that they're from Mars makes sense."
Dan set aside his pizza, his expression grim. "Yeah."
"Look, Detective Espinoza, I appreciate your good intentions."
The woman before him was all polite professionalism.
He sighed. "Well, so what can you tell me?"
"Nothing, I'm afraid. What River says to me in session is confidential." Dan started to protest, but she cut him off. "Even if you're trying to find their parents."
Dan seized on her words. "So River has parents, so they can't be from Mars."
"I never said that."
"So you're seriously telling me they're from Mars?"
"I didn't say that either."
Dan felt the frustration building within him, and took a deep breath, trying to push it down. Carefully calm, he asked, "What can I do to help River?"
The therapist smiled. "You're Trixie's father, right? River really values Trixie's friendship, and I know I'm not breaking any confidence in saying that. Any time River can spend with Trixie is all for the best."
Dan sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay."
"And it's great that you're trying to help," the therapist encouraged. "River needs supportive people around them."
"Thanks," Dan said, with a nod.
He turned to leave, but he knew that sleepovers and playdates would not be enough.
Chloe watched Dan and Ella huddle over his computer. Dan was frowning over whatever it was, so it was probably not Ella's latest Supernatural fanfic. Or maybe it was. Ella had some pretty radical ideas, if her break room ramblings were any clue.
Part of her wanted to go over and see what was going on, how he was. He hadn't come in with Trixie in weeks, and whenever Chloe came to pick up Trixie, their conversation was awkward and stilted. At work, they just talked about work. Nothing more.
Ella looked up and saw her watching, and smiled. She said something to Dan, then came over to join Chloe. "Hey."
"Hi. Sorry, I was just…"
"Watching us. Hey, I get it. We're both pretty people." Ella posed, then grinned as Chloe floundered over her negative, saying, "Just kidding. I know you only have eyes for one guy these days."
"We're that obvious?"
"Yeah, kind of. And, hey, I won five bucks in the pool, so thanks." Chloe sighed, and Ella chimed, "Kidding! Again. Seriously. Lighten up, Chloe. It's great that you and Lucifer are together."
Chloe couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. Yeah, it is." She nodded toward Dan. "How's he doing, though. He seems really…"
"Intense? Yeah. He's worried about River, trying to figure out their situation, find their parents."
Chloe nodded, with a small smile. "River's a good kid. Olga's bringing them and Trixie here; they're going to have a sleepover at Dan's."
Ella's eyes widened. "Two ten year-olds? Really? Wow, Dan is a brave man."
"Not sure how old they are." Chloe suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in the world. "What about their birth certificate? Could we find a copy online? It would have their parents' names."
Ella shook her head. "We'd need to know their middle name, where they were born, stuff like that."
"Yeah. Damn. Okay, maybe the school would have it…"
Ella trailed behind Chloe to the phone, but the school didn't have a copy, either. "Usually we require them, Detective, but River's got kind of a special situation."
"Have they told Trixie how their mother died?" Ella asked, when Chloe had put her phone back on the desk. "I could look it up."
Chloe grimaced. "Yeah. It was apparently an accident with a sub-light reactor near Valles Marineris."
"Which is on Mars?"
"Which is on Mars."
"… okay, then."
Through all this, Dan had kept at his own work, his head bowed over his screen. Chloe came over to rest a hand on his shoulder; he startled at her touch.
"Hey," she reassured. "It's just me. Take a break, yeah?"
Dan rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Trix and River here yet?"
"No, but soon. Olga should be getting them from school about now."
Dan stretched carefully, then nodded. "I'll knock off when they get here."
"Look, Dan. I know River is Trixie's friend, but -"
"But what, Chloe? But I should stop trying to help this kid?"
"Hey. I didn't say that. But maybe you should ease up. How's your caseload, huh?" Dan didn't reply, wouldn't look at her, but that was answer enough. "Just have a fun night with the kids tonight, okay? Try to relax."
Dan shook his head, but only replied, "Okay, Chloe. I'll bring Trix back on Sunday."
Chloe nodded and went back to her work, but continued to keep an eye on Dan.
Lucifer returned to Chloe's desk with the perfect latte, only to find an interloper in her chair. The urchin's sartorial choices continued to amaze. Lucifer was a fan of a good pop of color, but the child's orange plaid pants paired with those purple penny loafers inspired Lucifer to ask, "Are Martians color blind?"
He had decided to take their statements about being Martian at face value, remembering how frustrating it had been when nobody believed him when he said he was the Devil.
The child looked up from the drawing they were making, an intricately looping thing, and shook their head in response. "No. We don't perceive color in the same way as Earthlings, but since I'm in human form, I'm restricted to their perceptions."
Lucifer settled into the seat next to the child. "So Martians see more colors?" Lucifer asked, allowing himself to imagine what a Martian tailor could do for him.
"Not more," the child corrected. "Just different." They folded the drawing into fourths and tucked it into their pocket. "Have you decided yet?"
"Decided?" Lucifer repeated, letting the word trail off in inquiry.
"About taking me home."
"Ah, yes. That. No, not yet." The child made a wry face, and Lucifer asked, "Can't you get yourself home? What, is your spaceship broken?"
"I didn't come here in a spaceship."
Eye-rolling and sarcasm were apparently a thing for Martian youth as well. Lucifer took note.
"Well, then, how did you get here?"
The child frowned, and Lucifer could almost see the churning of their thoughts as they tried to find the proper words. Finally, they said, "I opened a door."
"Mars has doors to Earth? For that matter, Mars has doors?"
"Of course Mars has doors. You should know how bad the dust storms get, since you made Mars." Lucifer waved a hand in vague acknowledgment, with a murmured apology, and the child continued, "They just don't usually open here. And then when I came through I was surprised by how different it was, and the door slipped closed behind me."
"Couldn't you just open it again?"
"It disappeared."
"Huh. That normal door-like behavior on Mars?" Lucifer took note of the child's wry look. "Didn't think so." He leaned back in his chair. "Well, have you tried other doors?"
The child paused in thought. "No. I thought maybe it had to be the same one. I mean, that's how doors work, right? The same door to the same place?"
Lucifer made a gesture somewhere between a nod and a shrug. "That's what I've always observed, yes. But your situation seems a bit unusual."
"'cause they're from Mars, duh."
While Lucifer didn't exactly miss young Beatrice's squeals of Lucifer, akin as they were to nails on a chalkboard, he wouldn't mind a little bit of warning. "Oh, you're here as well?"
"Why would River come here without me?"
Well, of course they could have come to inquire about their deal, which they had; Lucifer wasn't sure if Beatrice was aware of said deal, so he said, "Why, to visit with a handsome Devil, of course."
That earned him a skeptical look from Beatrice. She had, Lucifer noted, her mother's very expressive eyebrows. "Olga brought us, and we're going to my dad's for a sleepover."
"Oh, that's no way to spend a Friday night," Lucifer chided. "Why you should -" Hearing Daniel clear his throat, Lucifer amended, "Ah, eat far too much pizza and stay up watching silly movies, and certainly nothing to do with toilet paper and your science teacher's house."
Lucifer had been listening, after all, to Trixie's complaint to the Detective that the teacher called on the boys most of the time. Maybe he'd make a visit, himself…
"Pizza and movies," Daniel agreed, his tone pointed. "Let's go, kids."
River smiled at Lucifer as they passed. "I'll think about what you said."
"Bye, Lucifer," Beatrice trilled as the trio took their leave.
"Goodbye, children. And Daniel." Lucifer shifted back to Chloe's chair, frowning thoughtfully as he watched their departure.
It had been a good idea, the sleepover. As he brushed his teeth, Dan listened, then smiled. The chatter had died down; maybe the kids were finally asleep. Trixie had wheedled until Dan had agreed to take them to the Science Center the next day, particularly to see the exhibit on Earth's attempts to reach other planets, and their delighted response to his yes had made even Dan's tolerant neighbors bang on the wall. It sounded like they had finally settled down, or so Dan thought until he heard the thump.
Pulling his shirt back on, Dan eased into the hallway, only to see River standing before an open door.
"Kiddo," he said gently, "You need something from the linen closet?"
Not that there was much in the way of linens in it; Dan hadn't acquired many yet. But it was a handy place to store odds and ends: spare toothbrushes, pudding cups, and the like.
River whirled in place, their eyes startlingly white in the dim hallway, the light from the kitchen turning their face into uncanny shadows.
For a moment, Dan really believed that they could be an alien. Then they turned their head, and the illusion disappeared.
"N-no," River replied, though they looked almost disappointed. "Sorry, I just… I thought it would go somewhere different if I opened it." Their lips trembled. "I just want to go home."
"Hey, hey, easy," Dan urged, crossing the hall in three quick strides and hunkering down in front of the child. "I can take you home. It's okay. Let me just get Trix."
River was already shaking their head. "No, you can't. It's too far. You can't get there. I thought maybe this door might… it even looked kind of like the other one... but it didn't."
"Jenny's house isn't far at all," Dan soothed, but River shook their head again. "That's not home," they said, tears overflowing their eyes.
Oh. Her home. "I've been trying to find your dad, River. It would really help if you could tell me his name."
"I can't."
"Look, he's not going to get in trouble." Probably. "But if we can see about maybe getting you home, we need to know where and who, okay?"
"No, I can't. His name is Martian, and it has sounds my human throat can't say."
Dan tried not to let his frustration show. The Martian thing had been interesting, cute even, and River really seemed to know a lot about Mars, but the act had gotten old. But they were just a kid, so instead he just said, "Okay, River. I'm sorry. Why don't you go try and get some sleep, all right? Busy day tomorrow."
River studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Thanks."
Dan got to his feet and walked River back to Trixie's room; his daughter had slept through the whole thing, Miss Alien cuddled to her chest. "Sleep well," he urged.
River nodded, unsmiling, as they got back in bed. "You, too, Mr. Espinoza."
Trixie was just about bursting with excitement. Her dad was taking her to the Science Center and she was going with River, who was maybe a Martian. Could the day get any better?
It had started a little rocky, though. She'd had the worst craving for waffles, and she knew she shouldn't have - though she still wasn't sure why; her dad used to make the best waffles - but she'd ordered them at the diner where Dad took her and River for breakfast. Just one look at her dad's face, though, and she'd said, "Wait, no, I changed my mind. I want pancakes instead."
She'd really wanted waffles, but Dad had looked so sad, like somebody had punched him and then taken his favorite toy.
And the pancakes had been good. Almost as good as waffles.
After breakfast, when River had gone to the bathroom, Dad slid over next to Trixie. "Hey," he said.
Trixie waited when Dad stopped talking, because he looked like he was having a hard time. She gave him an encouraging smile.
"It's okay for you to eat waffles," he said finally.
"I decided I wanted pancakes instead." She just wasn't going to explain that it was Dad's sad look that had changed her mind. Dad nodded, and then Trixie asked, "Dad? Why don't you like waffles any more?"
Dad sighed, but it didn't sound like he was annoyed. Still, Trixie thought maybe she should have asked Mom instead. She'd been thinking she didn't want Mom to know how sad Dad was, but Mom probably already knew.
"Monkey, it's not that I don't like waffles any more. It's just that I used to make them for Charlotte, and she really liked them. And now waffles kind of make me think of her, and that makes me sad."
"I won't eat waffles any more, then," Trixie decided.
"No, Trix, that's… look, you eat what you want, okay? Don't worry about me."
Trixie nodded, but she still knew that she'd worry about her dad. But then River came back from the bathroom, and it was time to go to the Science Center, so some of her worry eased.
By the time they reached the Science Center, Trixie and River were abuzz with excitement. Dad took them through the entrance, and the man there smiled to see them.
"Cute kids. Are they twins?"
"No," Dad replied, with a quick grin. "The dark-haired one is my daughter -"
"And I'm a Martian," River finished.
The man just laughed, but it was a friendly laugh, not a mean one. "Well, then, young Martian, you're in the right place. Welcome to Earth."
"Thank you," River replied, bowing like they were royalty. Was that how they did it on Mars?
"All right, let's go," Dad said. "Exhibits first, then the gift shop, okay?"
Trixie, pretty sure she was going to get some astronaut ice cream later, nodded and grabbed River's hand. "Come on!"
Trixie loved museums, especially science museums, and she thought this particular trip was the best one ever. They'd gone through the World of Life, and even the special exhibit about dogs. Dad said maybe later they could see the dogs IMAX movie, the one narrated by Captain America.
"Look," Trixie said, nudging River as they passed the poster. "Presented by Mars!"
"Mars Petcare," River corrected with a grin, after squinting at the poster.
"Still!"
Then they went to the air and space exhibits, which they'd saved for last. River knew about everything to do with Mars, and even a lot of the other outer space stuff, too, but nothing about what people - well, Earthlings - had done.
"Did you ever see the Curiosity Rover?" Trixie asked, as they waited in line to see Endeavour. Dad looked over to hear, but River shook their head.
"I heard about it, but we weren't supposed to go near it. Earthlings aren't supposed to know about us."
"Why not?"
River was quiet for long enough that Trixie almost asked again, but then they answered, their voice soft, "Earthlings fight sometimes. We didn't want fighting on Mars."
It sounded like Dad meant something else when he asked, his voice all serious, "Don't Martians ever fight? Maybe hurt each other, even accidentally?"
"No. Never." River looked serious, too. They watched Dad, and then he looked away.
"Well," he said, his voice fake-cheerful now, "I'd sure like to go there."
"Me, too!" Trixie agreed, squeezing River's hand.
"I wish you could, but you don't have the right bodies."
"But we could use spacesuits!" Trixie grinned suddenly. "They have some here, right?"
Dad shook his head. "Uh, we are not stealing space suits from this museum."
"Spoilsport," Trixie teased, but then she hugged her dad so he knew she was just kidding.
But then it was their turn to see Endeavour, and Trixie forgot about wanting to steal spacesuits. She would have liked to sit in one of the seats and pretend to fly, but they were only allowed to touch the tires. Still, it was so cool.
River said they had to go to the bathroom, but Trixie really wanted to look at Endeavour a little longer, so Dad told them to come right back and not to talk to strangers.
"I know," River said, and Dad smiled.
"Maybe people on Mars talk to strangers. How would I know?"
River just laughed and went to the bathroom.
It took Trixie and her father a little while to figure out that River wasn't coming back, and it wasn't until the paramedics arrived that they realized that something was really wrong.
Lucifer drove. Chloe knew that she wouldn't be able to manage, as all her focus was on getting to Trixie. She had almost asked him to fly them there, certain that it would be faster than going through traffic, but that would have caused too many questions.
So Lucifer drove, his Corvette roaring past all the other cars, weaving in and out with supernatural dexterity, and Chloe didn't object, because Trixie.
They finally arrived at the museum, and Chloe saw them first, Trixie huddled against her father, her little face already swollen with crying, tears still rolling silently down her cheeks. Dan, stoic and grim, had an arm around her.
Trixie looked up, then, and saw her, and her raw cry of "Mommy!" shattered Chloe's already bruised heart. Trixie hadn't called her that in ages.
Trixie broke away from her father and ran to Chloe, flinging herself at her.
"Mommy, River's dead."
And now Chloe was crying as the reality of it sunk in. She sat down and pulled Trixie into her lap and rocked her, both of them crying together.
They'd seen too much death, all of them.
It wasn't until later, after Jenny had arrived and hugged Trixie and told her what a good friend she had been to River, that Chloe was able to find out what happened. Trixie had fallen asleep by then, worn out with weeping.
"Maybe a stroke, they said," Dan told her. "Shit, Chloe, how does that happen to a little kid?"
Chloe met Lucifer's gaze, then, and he managed a wan smile. "People do ask my father that sort of question on occasion, yes." He cleared his throat and asked, "Where did they find the child? I overheard museum staff saying something that suggested something unusual had occurred?"
Dan nodded. "They got in the back somehow. Somebody from the museum found them outside the door to a storage area."
Lucifer frowned thoughtfully as Chloe shifted Trixie on her lap. "Was the door open?"
"I don't know, man."
"Could I see it? Perhaps speak to the person who found the child?"
"What's the point?" Dan asked, his voice dull. "It's not going to bring River back."
Chloe saw Lucifer draw in a breath, clearly in preparation for some sort of joking comment, but then Lucifer just shook his head. He moved as if he was going to put a hand on Dan's shoulder, but instead said, his voice gentle, "I'll just see about that, shall I? And perhaps when we can leave as well. Beatrice should be in bed."
He strolled off before Chloe could say yes or thank you or anything else. She thought she should get up, go after him, but then Trixie stirred and Chloe's focus shifted to her daughter.
Lucifer could handle himself. Trixie needed her.
Dan straightened his tie. The funeral wasn't for hours yet, but he hadn't been able to sleep, so he had just gotten up and got ready.
Trixie, he hoped, was still asleep. She'd been up late the previous night, wanting to talk about River; he hadn't been able to coax her to bed until nearly midnight.
He peeked into her room and, yes, she was in bed, her eyes closed.
Good.
There wasn't a lot that helped with grief, as Dan well knew, but sleep allowed at least a little escape.
He wished that there was something he could do to help. That moment when the paramedics had said that River was dead, Trixie's scream, it still echoed in his memories.
He should have been able to do something. It shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened.
Dan stepped over to the window. Despite the awful events, the sun had the gall to shine.
"How could you let this happen?" he asked. Maybe it was God he spoke to, or maybe himself.
The paramedics had told him that there was nothing he could have done. "Even if you'd been standing right next to the kid, you couldn't have helped. It was that quick."
He couldn't have helped River; he couldn't have helped Charlotte. Dan's throat tightened, and he struggled to breathe for a moment.
He didn't get an answer to his question, of course. He hadn't seriously expected one. But as he leaned against the window, a bird landed on the branch outside. It was, he realized, the same color as Charlotte's eyes had been. It looked at him almost like it knew him, and then took to the sky.
In that moment, Dan knew something he could do to help. He left his apartment and knocked on Mrs. Gomez's door.
His neighbor opened the door, looking puzzled. "Dan? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," Dan replied, because how could he explain all things that weren't okay. "I was just wondering if I could borrow your waffle maker."
Trixie woke up, and for a moment everything was okay. Then she remembered, and for a moment it hurt so much that she could barely breathe: River, her best friend, was gone. She'd come home with Mom and Lucifer after the funeral, and Mom had even gotten sushi from Trixie's favorite place on the way home, but Trixie hadn't been able to eat.
Trixie grabbed Miss Alien and hugged her close, but it didn't help. Her mom had said all the right things, and that hadn't helped, either.
Her dad had made waffles that morning, and he'd said it was okay to be sad, that it was going to be really hard for a while, but that it would get easier.
His voice had gone all scratchy, and Trixie knew he was thinking about Charlotte. She'd hugged him, then, and they'd cried together. she'd eaten her waffles, even though she wasn't hungry, and they were just as good as she remembered. Dad had even eaten some, too, and he'd smiled as he ate.
Before bed, Mom had said to call if she needed anything, and Trixie knew she meant it, but having Mom there wouldn't make a difference. Trixie still wouldn't be able to sleep. Her throat hurt and her head hurt and her heart hurt the worst of all.
She got up to get a drink of water, Miss Alien tucked under one arm, and was surprised to see the light on, and Lucifer standing by the window. He was wearing pajamas - Mom's rules - and was looking up at the sky, his face tired and unhappy.
He looked old. Not in an old-person way, but like he knew things that Trixie couldn't even imagine.
"Why did you send the child here?" he asked.
Trixie couldn't see anybody. Was he talking to himself? And which child? Her?
No, of course not. River.
"Or was it even on purpose? I know the faithful -" His voice twisted, and Trixie thought of lemons. "- say you have a plan, but maybe that's rubbish. Maybe you don't know what's to come any better than the rest of us." Lucifer's head lowered, and he laughed. How could a laugh sound so unhappy? "Either way, you won't tell any of us, particularly me. I just… some answers would be nice, Dad. For once."
Lucifer's dad? Trixie stepped forward, trying to see, and she must have made a noise; Lucifer turned around quick as a flash, looking startled. "Beatrice. I… you should be in bed."
Trixie shrugged and moved to sit on the couch. "I can't sleep."
Lucifer nodded, took a breath, and then nodded some more. He looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, so Trixie asked, "You're the Devil, right?"
Lucifer went stiff. "Your mother said you knew. Yes."
"Don't worry. I won't tell."
Lucifer shrugged. "You mother knows, and believes me. I'm not sure it matters what anybody else knows, as long as I have that."
Trixie nodded. Love was weird. "Anyway. Your dad. I think I heard Mom and Doctor Linda taking about him. He's… God?"
Lucifer nodded.
"Were you asking him about River?"
Lucifer nodded once more. "I'm afraid he didn't answer, though. We're not exactly on speaking terms."
Trixie sighed. "So he didn't tell you about River." Lucifer shook his head. "Did your dad… take them? And Charlotte? Is… is that how it works?" She tried not to cry. She'd been crying so much already.
Lucifer was silent for a long moment, and then moved to sit on the couch. Trixie scooted over a little closer, but not too close. "No. He doesn't make decisions like that. But your friend's situation is, ah, unusual."
Trixie felt her heart do a weird jumping thing in her chest. "What do you mean?"
"They told me they got here through a door, and I think they believed they could go home if they found the proper door. They were found before an open door."
"Home. To… to Mars?"
Lucifer nodded. "It's what they believed."
"But… Mars. Really? Mars?" Trixie leaned back against the couch, her head spinning.
"Well, I haven't been there much since I created it. For all I know, dear old Dad sent life there as well. Or maybe… maybe somebody else did. After all, it's not all about him, despite what he'd like us to think."
Trixie took a deep breath. "But you don't know for sure?" Lucifer hesitated, and Trixie pressed, "You said you never lie."
"And I don't lie, no. For sure?" Lucifer got up and walked over to the window. "Child, there is very little I'm certain of any more, and most of it is in this house. But it's possible."
"But River's body…" Trixie already thought of the answer. "That was just their Earthling form. Maybe…" Trixie felt a spark of, not quite happiness, but at least a lessening of that crushing grief. "Maybe River's really alive, on Mars?"
"It's possible," Lucifer repeated. "One way to find out."
"President of Mars?"
Lucifer smiled. "President of Mars. Now let's get you back to bed, yes? Before your mum catches us and we're both in trouble."
Trixie didn't think her mom would be too mad, but she didn't argue. Tomorrow, she was going to study. There was a quiz in science on Monday, and she was going to show her teacher what she knew, whether he called on her or not.
Lucifer eased back into bed, and smiled as Chloe curled up against him and then kissed him, long and lingering. "Mm, nice," he approved. "What was that for?"
"Not that kisses have to be for anything, but you… with Trixie…" Her voice caught in a worrisome little hitch, and Lucifer drew her closer.
"Did I do something wrong? Only I thought she might feel better, thinking her friend might still be alive somewhere."
Chloe was silent long enough that Lucifer began to worry, and then she finally said, "I know your heart's in the right place, and it really sounded like you made her feel better, but was telling her that a good idea? I mean, it's not like she can find out either way, but…"
"She can't find out?" Lucifer asked, puzzled. "Course she can. River is either in heaven - no chance of Hell for them, trust me - or on Mars. Either way, Beatrice will find them, though Heaven's a long way off, hopefully."
Chloe pulled away to look into his face, her expression searching. "You… you really believe that, don't you?"
Lucifer smiled, brushing back Chloe's hair from her face. "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, my dear Detective…"
Chloe leaned in to kiss him. "Shakespeare, huh?"
"Well, where do you think he got the line, hmm?"
"You really think River was a Martian?"
Lucifer took a moment to ponder the question. "I think it's possible, yes. But I think what's important is what Beatrice believes, in this case."
"Yeah," Chloe agreed. "Lucifer, you really are amazing."
He perked up a bit. "Well, if you think that was amazing…"
Chloe hugged him close, and he could feel her laughter. "Good night, Lucifer. I love you."
"And I love you," Lucifer replied softly, still not quite able to believe that they were there, together, in love. If that was true, why not a Martian visitor?
Why not, indeed?