This little plot bunny has been bothering me for a while so (despite it probably being terrible) I figured I would get it written so I can go back to my what I was actually intending to publish (that will be in the next few days). In advance sorry for long authors note.

The idea came from the small little interaction between Chloe and Maze where she asks here 'why do you do this job', and Chloe's answer is 'I get to shoot people' and 'because I hate it when people get away with things they shouldn't'. There was something about Maze's expression to Chloe's admittance. I've always been a sucker for character parallels, and I just can't help probably making all these connections that aren't really there... so for this little fic, let's pretend they are.

This little piece was difficult for me to write because I found Maze's character more emotionally exhausting then I guessed it would be. The tone changes dramatically about halfway through, but I think it flows well enough. Anyway, enjoy the small look into my (unstable) mental state.

through it all we remain, till like ashes we fade away

'So I hear you and the Detective spent the day together? And neither you nor her are hurt, maimed, or killed. There's something I never thought would happen. Did she do something to you?'

Lucifer had spent the past hour sweeping up glass in the penthouse, and was now casually scanning the bar top for any pieces he'd missed. She'd suggested getting someone to do it for him, cleaning up wasn't very becoming of him, but he'd maintained that he didn't want anyone finding his secret – very expensive and maybe a little bit illegal – stash of whiskey hidden in one of the many cupboards in his kitchen. So she'd let it drop, if he wanted to clean then she'd let him distract himself, although the question he was asking her, while still picking, seemed a little too ambivalent.

She chanced a glance up at him, to catch him shooting a look her way before going back to painstakingly picking up each piece of glass. Internally rolling her eyes, she went back to flicking through whatever boring magazine someone had left behind in the club – some celeb thing, she wasn't really paying attention. 'We did,' she turned a page, feigning disinterest, she could do it as well as him, 'she's not all that bad. Strange, I thought she'd be… different.' She shrugged a shoulder, turning another page.

There was a beat of silence as her lord and master was obviously thinking over her answer. 'See, she isn't all that bad,' he picked up a glass, pulling a face as the damaged glass shattered in his hand, 'you were kicking up a fuss for nothing.' He shook the broken glass from his unmarked hand and made a mental note to purchase some more. His glasses had taken the brunt of the damage from the scuffles he'd had in here the past few days. Why did always have to be the fine glass… and the alcohol? He sighed, flicking a piece of glass off the counter and watching as it span across the room, coming to a abrupt halt as it hit the wall. He shot a quick glance at his bartender, and loyal servant, who was still perusing though that damn magazine. Why she kept the charade he had no idea, he knew she wasn't interested in any of the babble some hyperbolic writer had splurged in it.

She hummed, turning another page, she'd have spared a glance at Lucifer but decided not to risk it as she'd probably be caught, again. Instead she uncrossed her legs, placing the magazine down and reached for her drink which was one of the two remaining unbroken glasses left in the penthouse. Taking a zip, she now peered at him over the rim, raising an eyebrow as he watched her.

Lucifer regarded his demon, looking her up and down and concluding she was playing him. He sighed, tugging on the cuffs of his jacket and picked up the second unharmed glass, filling it with what little whiskey he had left without going into his stash, 'what is it Maze?'

'Mmm?' She looked at him, lowering her glass into her lap and sniggering at him, 'oh nothing.'

'Bloody hell, I'm not in the mood, just spill it.' He resisted the urge to run his hand though his hair – he wasn't some Twilight wannabe - and instead rounded the kitchen island, and plopped himself at his piano, tinkering with the keys for a second. 'I have more important things to be worrying about than whatever silly game you've gotten into your head.'

He sounded more impatient and exhausted than angry. Maze knew the whole debacle with his mother returning, and not hearing anything, even a peep that she was topside, in days, had been taking its toll on him. His stress levels had been through the roof, little things making him snap. It was why he'd been avoiding anyone outside his club, including his little Detective, and instead remained hidden away having whispered conversations with himself as he tried to come to a decision on what to do about his mother. His phone had thankfully remained silent, which was probably lucky, otherwise she was pretty sure it would have been through the glass and over the balcony. Although she wasn't sure if the lack of contact from Detective Decker was making him better, or worse. She had this calming quality she carried with her, and Maze would never admit but sometimes it came in handy.

She debated dropping the topic, but figured once you were in for a penny. Plus she wanted to see how he'd react. 'You, and your little Detective, are not all that different you know.' She cocked an eyebrow at him as his head shot up from where he'd been solemnly plunking random minor keys at his piano, no real tune being played, and looked at her incredulously.

'What?' He placed his glass down on top of the piano, turning to face her, legs crossing as he turned on the piano stool. 'Are you insane? Has being topside finally made you go mad Maze? Of course we are.'

She shook her head, taking a small sip of her drink and savouring the taste. 'I finally realised why you like her so much-' she tilted her head, a tiny smile playing at the corner of her mouth, '- well apart from the obvious.'

Lucifer grunted, turning away and dismissing her. 'You really have gone insane. Perhaps it is better if you go back to Hell.' He plunked a few more keys, this time it sounded a little more like a tune rather than random notes being pressed, 'maybe it'll screw your head back on properly,' he insolently tagged on, not bothering to look at her.

She rolled her eyes, finishing her drink and using the tips of her fingers to drop the glass onto the table, it made a light clatter as it wobbled to a standstill, but remained intact – thankfully. 'As much as I'd love too, I'm not going anywhere when this is finally getting interesting.'

Lucifer knew she wasn't talking about his mother. He groaned in exasperation, giving up on the slow brooding tune he was creating - it complimented his mood - and slammed the piano lid down. 'There's nothing to be interesting Maze. I don't know what you're talking about.' Chloe was a pure soul, white and blinding; why she even bothered with him was still a question he had to answer, among other things.

Maze, noticing she had her masters full attention, turned to look at him fully. 'We spent a good portion of the day together, and you know I'm an expert in people-' she drawled the sentence out, toying with the words as they rolled over her tongue.

Lucifer humoured her, 'yes, yes,' he waved his hands a little, 'we all know how good you are with people Maze.'

She grinned at him, and shrugged a shoulder, sitting up straighter and squaring her shoulders. 'She likes to shoot people.'

'We all do from time to time. The people Chloe shoots are bad people; usually dirty criminals who deserve to be thrown in a jail cell for evermore.'

Maze raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at him, 'she told me herself she hates it when people get away with things they shouldn't.'

She watched as he shifted awkwardly in his seat, not sure if he was uncomfortable because of the topic of conversation or because he was finally listening to her, '-isn't that generic of every cop Maze? You're just describing her job. I fail to see your point.'

'And isn't that your job?' She quickly moved on before he could change, or move, the conversation on elsewhere. 'Anyway, those aren't the only things that reminded me of you.'

He exhaled a long breath through his teeth, the air whistling slightly, 'what?' He wasn't an idiot, he could see where she was coming from. But Chloe wasn't a damned soul, she was one of the only people he'd met in his short five years here on Earth he was 100% would be gracing the pearly gates when she finally passed on. Not that he was thinking about that, the thought was surprisingly too – stingy – it caused a squeeze on his insides, so he pushed the thought away.

Maze wasn't blind to the look on Lucifer's face, although she wasn't completely sure she recognised it, she knew when she was pushing the line. 'Look, Lucifer, I don't know if-' maybe she shouldn't have brought it up. Sure it was fun to torment her master from time to time, but she didn't want to push him over the edge. That wouldn't be good for anyone, let alone herself.

'No no.' Lucifer sat up straighter, reaching for his drink and finishing the glass. He looked at it forlornly for a second, 'you started this, so you better finish it.' Perhaps, he thought, it may shine some light onto why Chloe was so immune to him, why she made him vulnerable, despite the thought making him internally shudder. 'Go on,' he waved a hand in her general direction.

She hesitated a second, the atmosphere in the room shifting and was now far more serious than it had been. She repressed a shiver, this was no longer fun for her and she didn't enjoy hurting Lucifer. Everything she did was supposed to be for him – she wasn't trying to harm him, not now, not ever. 'Look-'

'Speak Maze.' He glowered at her, voice stern and commanding, his eyes flashing for a second before he took a breath to calm himself. If she was unsettled at all she didn't show it; brave and defiant until her last breath would be Maze.

She held up her hands a little in surrender, 'okay okay,' she regarded him closely before shrugging to herself, if he wanted to know what she was thinking so badly then she'd tell him. What happened after wasn't her fault – was it? Now she had to go about this in a way he wouldn't bite her head off, but she wanted this conversation over with as quick as possible as it was making her uncomfortable. 'The both of you have parent issues-' Lucifer opened his mouth to interrupt so she continued quickly before he took her any further out of her flow '-yes, your daddy issues are with God, and hers with a simple human mother, but you both rebelled. You were both cast out, sort of, you from Heaven obviously, but she was shunned by the rest of her police department for believing something they didn't… and she doesn't give up. She could have easily backed down and let you take the fall for that preacher's death, but she fought for you Lucifer – not just because she knew were innocent, for once, but because she wouldn't have Malcolm go unpunished. She believed he had to pay for his actions-' she abruptly cut herself off when she noticed Lucifer was no longer looking at her, instead was staring past her and out the window. She reconsidered what she was saying for a moment, before coming to a startling conclusion, '- you've already thought about all this, haven't you?'

He nodded slightly, and she noticed his heavy swallow as he continued to stare out the window, 'yes, but-'

'But you needed someone to clarify. Someone else to see it, to show you it wasn't all in your head?' She stood up, slowly approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder. He continued to stare out the window, ignoring her hand, 'Lucifer?'

His sudden turn of the head made her jump, but she remained where she was. 'She's good Maze. Her soul is pure, and brilliant, and-'

'-and sometimes it's hard to remember that you used to be your father's favorite son. You were a good soul too, and yet if you could be corrupted Lucifer, anyone can…'

Eyes flashing, he growled low in his throat, suddenly moving to grab her upper arms. She couldn't withhold the small snarl in reply as he pinched her skin. He ignored her and instead shoved his head into her personal space, 'that's never happening to her. Ever. She's perfect, her soul is precious. I'm not letting anything happen to it.' He gruffly let her go, shoving her away from him and turning away, 'it just isn't happening.'

Maze's eyes softened as she watched her master internally struggle with himself. She knew how dear he held his Detective, he had put her on a pedestal and despite trying to take her down, she was still above everyone else to him. The thought of her soul being corrupted, like his had been, he wanted her near him and for her to stay with him, but he didn't want to ruin her.

'Then don't let it happen,' she answered, looking at Lucifer resolutely, 'don't let her soul be corrupted.'

'I won't.' He remained firm, voice strong and certain, but then he turned to look at her, 'but I'm also not letting her go, as long as she wants to be around, she will be.'

Maze regarded him carefully, not sure what he was asking of her, but she nodded slowly either way. Her duty was to Lucifer, not to anyone else, and she'd do whatever he asked of her. 'Okay.'

He nodded. 'They'll be a way.' She wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince her or himself, but she remained silent and steadily watched him as he paced himself up to the glass windows and stepped onto the balcony; his voice carrying on the wind, 'they'll be a way.'

Again, not beta'd, in fact I will just say now - none of my pieces will be. I do check for grammar and spelling, but the odd little things do escape my attention now and again, so I'm sorry ahead of time about that.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on my last fic, as I said this one is no way near as fluffy and sweet, but if you can lend a minute of your time to let me know your thoughts - that would be fantastic!