Molly knew right from wrong. It wasn't just from Sunday school and Gram telling her what was so; she knew it in her bones. There was right, and there was wrong, and there was helping people, which was what Molly wanted to do.
When she and Missy and Momma had still lived with Daddy, they'd needed help. Missy had only been a baby, but Molly remembered the police officers that had come when everything had gone wrong. One had even helped Molly get Mr. Bear, and had let Molly hold his badge when she got scared.
The police gotten her and Momma and Missy out of there. If they'd come sooner, maybe Momma would have been okay, but they'd tried their best. Momma had said that the most important thing was that Molly and Missy were safe.
Molly wasn't entirely sure she believed that. But the police had helped, and Molly wanted to help. She knew she was going to be a police officer when she grew up.
So when she and Missy heard the crash down the road, she was up in a heartbeat, pulling on her coat before Missy had even moved away from the window. "Gram," she called, as she headed for the door. "Something's wrong!"
Something was wrong, and Molly was going to help.
The suspect had fled north, his former roommate had said, in search of an ex-girlfriend. The way the roommate's face had gotten tight when he said it had raised Chloe's hackles, and just a little pressure had revealed the grudge the suspect had for the ex, and the roommate's concern that her life might be in danger as well.
Of course, Chloe had notified the relevant authorities, who had assured her that they were taking the threat very seriously.
Lucifer had watched her as she put down her phone with a little too much force. "North, was it?" he'd asked, his dark eyes glinting with the promise of mischief, the honey of his voice urging her to ignore the rules just this once.
"Yeah," she had agreed, her lips curving. "North. I've got the address."
That had been hours ago, but still they drove north, and at faster speeds than were wise on the winding mountain path. Chloe let her mind drift to the possibility of holing up for the night in some chalet, and, oops, only one room left, and there was just one bed; oh, no, what could possibly happen?
Lucifer had given her space since she'd seen his face and started to accept his identity. She'd needed it.
Chloe wasn't sure that space was what she wanted. Not any more.
She yanked her mind back to the road where it belonged. Of course they wouldn't find somewhere to stay, even with the snow. Not with a young woman's life in danger. Frowning, she accelerated just a little more, peering through the flurries.
And it wasn't like there were even motels, really. Chloe had seen the occasional house clinging to the side of the road, which had become more and more narrow as they had driven higher into the mountains. What little she could see of the scenery was lovely, and Chloe thought vaguely of bringing Trixie there, once school was out for the winter holidays. She'd love all the snow, even though Chloe would have been happier to drive on clear roads.
Lucifer had been humming along to the music, a pleasant undercurrent to the drive, but then Chloe heard his voice raised in a panicked, "Detective!" and they were spinning.
The world went black before the spinning stopped.
When Chloe wrenched her eyes open, she considered the possibility that they were still spinning. As the world swam into focus, her head throbbing in time to her heartbeat, she saw Lucifer's concerned face above her. She reached for him, protesting, "You're bleeding," but sank back against the seat as the pain surged. Over his shoulder, she saw two small, worried faces looking in through the shattered window.
"Gram's coming," came a voice from the general direction of the faces. "She'll know what to do. I'll go meet her. You stay here, Missy, and don't let them move. It always says that in the movies."
"Don't move," piped a higher-pitched voice, and Chloe couldn't help but smile a little as Lucifer winced at the shrillness.
"You okay?" she began, but before she could hear Lucifer's answer, the darkness had claimed her once more.
When she opened her eyes again, weak sunlight filtered through the thin curtains. Muslin, Chloe thought muzzily, with vague memories of reading the Little House books to Trixie, of course with suitable discussions of why what some of what was said and done back then was not acceptable now.
And then, My car doesn't have curtains. But then her head cleared enough for her to remember the previous events. She started to sit up, then eased back against the bed as a wave of dizziness struck her. She reached for her head and felt a bandage, but most of the pain was gone. She'd sat up too quickly, that was all.
"Gram said rest easy," a small voice suggested, and Chloe looked over to see a vaguely familiar little girl sitting in a chair next to the bed, a battered paperback in her lap. She looked a little younger than Trixie, and had a dusting of freckles across her nose. "You feeling better, ma'am?"
"I think so… Missy?" She glanced to her side and saw Lucifer sleeping next to her in the bed, his jacket gone and his shirt unbuttoned. And there was just one bed, Chloe thought, trying desperately not to laugh.
"That's my sister," the girl replied, with enough disdain to suggest that she was the elder. "I'm Molly." She studied Chloe, then said, "You were driving really fast. Missy and I saw you out the window, and we came to help."
Chloe nodded. "Yeah. Thank you. I should have been more careful. Oh sh-oot," she corrected in mid-word, ignoring Molly's arched eyebrows. "We have to get going. My car -" She sat up, then braced herself on one arm as her head swam again.
But Molly was shaking her head. "Mister Jim towed it," she reported. "He said he'd try to get it running, but that it was going to take a while. And you shouldn't be driving anyway, ma'am. You bumped your head."
Chloe shook her head, though carefully. "Is there a car rental - why are you laughing?"
"Because," Lucifer put in, his voice drowsy but still holding the edge of his laughter, "We're in the middle of nowhere. No cell reception, let alone a place to rent a car."
"He's right, ma'am," the child confirmed. "You're going to have to wait. Nobody can get through the roads, anyway. We got a lot of snow in that blizzard. Mister Jim almost didn't make it, with your car. You really shouldn't have been driving in it, especially that fast."
Chloe resisted the urge to elbow Lucifer, whose silent laughter was shaking the bed. "You don't have to keep calling me ma'am, Molly," she said, carefully easing to a sitting position and propping herself against the headboard. "We're at your grandma's house?" Molly nodded, her braids swinging in a way that reminded Chloe of Trixie. "Great. Can we use her phone?"
Molly shook her head. "No, ma'am," she said, though the corners of her mouth curled up just a little when she realized what she'd done. "Sorry. The storm knocked out the phone lines. It happens a lot. They'll be fixed in a few days, though. Maybe a week."
Chloe took a deep breath. No car, no cell service, no phones. No way to get back home, but if she was really honest with herself, she wasn't up to driving that far anyway. She'd told Dan what she and Lucifer were doing, ignoring his knowing smile and his rueful headshake. Dan and Trixie would worry when they didn't check in. "Is there any way we can get in touch with our family?" She saw Lucifer look over, perhaps at being included as family, and she smiled at him.
Molly nodded. "Maybe Mister Jim's radio," she suggested. "It's the talking kind, not the listening kind. I mean, you can listen, too, but he's got one of those…" She cupped her hand to her mouth before adding, "He probably already told people that you're here and okay."
Chloe nodded. It wasn't great news, but it was better than nothing. Of course, being able to call Dan and Trixie would have been best, but since that wasn't possible, she'd just have to touch base with this Mister Jim when she could. "Thanks, Molly. Hey," she said, turning to Lucifer. "How are you doing? Were you hurt? I remember -"
She remembered Lucifer's face, and blood, but he looked all right.
"Fine," Lucifer reassured. "Bit banged up, but I'll bounce back right as rain. The sleep helped."
"Gram said he was okay as far as she could tell," Molly volunteered. "And she used to be a nurse. She said you should go slow when you woke up, ma'am. Sorry. What should I call you?"
"Chloe," Chloe supplied, but Molly clearly didn't think that was appropriate.
"Detective," Lucifer suggested.
Molly's eyes widened. "You're a Detective? Like the police?"
Chloe hesitated. "Yeah."
"She's one of the good ones," Lucifer added, finally reaching to button his shirt. "Best of the lot."
Chloe managed not to sigh as Lucifer covered himself, but, really, he had gotten fit lately.
Did the Devil need a fitness regimen? Had he been working out? She couldn't imagine Lucifer putting in that much effort on purpose, but maybe he'd lost a bet.
"Thanks," she murmured, nudging her mind away from what was under Lucifer's shirt.
"Wow," Molly breathed. "Were you driving so fast to catch a criminal?"
Chloe nodded, sitting upright as she remembered the purpose of the trip. Dizziness struck her once more, and suddenly Lucifer's hands were there, supporting her. "How long has it been?"
"Not quite a day," Lucifer said, his voice gentle. "He's gone to ground, if the local police didn't catch him." He met her gaze, and her breath caught at his expression; his hands were gentle, yes, but there was an intensity in his eyes that made her not want to look away.
Perhaps aware of Molly's curious presence, Lucifer cleared his throat, then carefully removed his hands before fussing with his shirt. It had wrinkles, which he clearly didn't appreciate, but it wasn't as if he had anything else to wear. They'd left in a hurry, certain that everything would be wrapped up soon.
"You're really a police officer?" Molly asked, her eyes shining.
Chloe nodded. She eased away the blankets to show her badge, but it wasn't there. "I had," she began. "It was right here." And her gun, that was gone, too, though really she was just as glad not to have been sleeping with a loaded gun at her hip.
"Gram put your stuff in the drawer," Molly said. "So Missy couldn't get at it. And she took the bullets out of your gun."
Lucifer got to his feet, offering, "I can get it." And he did, coming back to offer Chloe the badge.
"Thanks," she said, though when he sat down again, it was in the chair next to Molly's.
Chloe tried not to be disappointed. It wasn't as if anything was going to happen, but his presence in the bed had been comforting.
"Here," Chloe said, offering the badge to Molly. "Really a police officer."
Molly beamed as she took the badge, running her fingers over its surface. "Wow," she breathed, but then she handed the badge back to Chloe as somebody in the next room called her name. "That probably means supper is ready," she said, before dashing out of the room.
"Huh. Don't usually get that reaction, when people find out my job," Chloe observed, tucking her badge back in its spot. "It's refreshing."
Lucifer made a noncommittal noise. "Maybe she's had a positive experience with someone in your line of work," he suggested. "Ah, should we try and make our way to the next room? The child mentioned food. Can you manage?"
Chloe nodded. "If I take it slowly, yeah." Something smelled delicious elsewhere in the house, and Chloe was certainly ready to investigate.
Lucifer smiled and offered a hand.
Chloe hesitated and then took it. He was just being helpful, a good partner. That was all. But still, he was solicitous as he helped her into the next room, and if she leaned on him? Well. She'd been injured. That was all.
Really.
Molly was busily setting the table, with little Missy following behind with napkins. The room itself was sparse, but clean.
"Nice to see you up and about." The woman who spoke, presumably the girls' grandmother, turned to offer a smile. She seemed friendly, but there was a no-nonsense manner about her. "You'd best sit down, though, ma'am. You're looking a bit shaky, there."
"Detective," Molly suggested, her eyes shining, and her grandmother's answering smile was fond.
"Molly says you're police officers," she began, and Chloe nodded
"Well, I am. Chloe Decker. This is my partner, Lucifer Morningstar. He's a civilian consultant."
Lucifer smiled on cue, his charm perhaps an attempt to soften the older woman's tense look. She didn't seem surprised by his name, though, or by the news that Chloe was a detective.
"Why did your parents name you that?" Missy asked, her eyes wide. "Lucifer, that's the Devil's name."
"Right you are," Lucifer agreed, with a too-bright smile. He neglected to comment on parental motivations, instead turning to the children's grandmother, "I don't think I got your name."
"Carol Williams," she replied, offering firm handshakes to both Lucifer and then Chloe. "Supper's on, if you feel up to eating."
"People have been bringing stuff all day," Missy added, looking excited, though she subsided at a quelling look from her grandmother.
In fact, they had only just sat down when there was a knock at the door. Little Missy hopped up to answering it, calling a bright, "Hi, Mister Jim!"
Carol got up as well, helping Jim to brush the snow off his coat as he came in.
"I don't mean to interrupt your supper," he said, though Carol was already pouring him some coffee. "Just wanted to let you know that your car will be a few days. I'm missing a part, and it can't get here because of the storm."
Lucifer stared at him. "You came here to tell us this? In the middle of a blizzard?"
Jim grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "We're used to snow like this. And Ellie sent along some of our boy's clothes for you, figured that you wouldn't fit into Missy's hand-me-downs."
That sent the smaller girl into peals of laughter, and Chloe couldn't help but smile.
Lucifer took the proffered grocery bag with a murmur of thanks. He peeked into it, and his brows lifted. Chloe could only imagine its contents. "Thank you," he replied. "And to Ellie, and your, ah, boy."
Jim nodded agreeably. "Glad to help," he replied.
Chloe said, "Molly said that you might have some way to get in touch with our family. We want them to know we're okay."
"Don't you worry about that," Jim replied genially. "We got your names from your IDs, and passed the word around until somebody got it to the LAPD. I'm sure they told your people."
Chloe exhaled, relieved to know that Trixie and Dan wouldn't be worried. "Thank you so much."
"Come on by the shop when the weather clears," Jim added, with an amiable nod. "I should have a better idea of when your car will be ready. The girls can show you the way." He finished his coffee and made his farewells, and they all turned back to their meal.
Carol told who had made each dish as she served it, with the girls providing color commentary that often made Chloe laugh. By the end of the meal, she was overcome by the generosity of the neighbors. If their situation was anything like Carol's, they didn't have a lot, but they had shared it with all apparent willingness.
Missy had been casting curious looks at Lucifer throughout the meal.
"Maybe he really is the Devil," she said to Molly, in the too-loud whisper of a small child trying to be subtle.
Chloe nearly choked on her water. Lucifer inhaled to answer, though he subsided when Chloe kicked him under the table.
"Why would you think that, Missy?" Carol asked.
Missy shrugged, squirming under the attention of everybody at the table. "Well, it's his name."
Molly retorted, "There's that movie guy, Chris Columbus, but he didn't discover America."
"Neither did that other Christopher Columbus," Carol observed, with a wry smile. "Plenty of people here before him."
Molly nodded in concession, but added, "Just because it's your name doesn't mean it's who you are."
"Your name doesn't define you," Chloe agreed, and Lucifer looked up to meet her gaze, not quite smiling.
"No," Lucifer agreed. "It does not."
They finished their meal in silence, until Millie from down the way interrupted to bring a rhubarb pie. "I put up the pie filling this April," she said, when Chloe remarked on how wonderful it tasted. "It's like spring in a crust. Thought you could use it, not being used to this snow."
Chloe smiled at Millie as she left, wondering how many of the neighbors' generosity also held the desire to get a look at her and Lucifer. Millie had certainly looked, particularly at Lucifer.
Not that Chloe could blame her, really. Just a day without his usual products and such had thickened his stubble and softened his hair and, well, Chloe didn't mind.
Carol cast an eye at the girls, and they got up to clear the table. Chloe, suspecting that the only dishwasher in the house had just left the table, asked, "Can we clean up?"
Carol studied Lucifer, then asked Chloe, "Has he ever washed a dish in his life?"
Lucifer smiled as he waited for Chloe's answer, and she admitted, "I doubt it, but I have, and he's a quick study."
Carol turned an assessing gaze on Chloe, and Chloe remembered Molly saying, She used to be a nurse. She didn't doubt it. "Will you be all right? You were looking a bit shaky when you came out."
Chloe nodded. "I'm feeling much better," she said, surprised to find it the truth. "The food helped, I think."
Carol smiled. "You can dry, too, then," she said magnanimously. "Won't be hard to figure out where everything goes. Girls," she added, raising her voice, "don't forget your homework."
"Aw, Gram," Missy protested as she reentered the room. "Tomorrow's gonna be a snow day, too, and the day after."
Carol's expression softened a little. "Yes, likely, but you'll still have a spelling test when you get back. Have your sister quiz you."
Molly soon emerged, her expression eloquent in the ways of small sisters. "Ten minutes?" she asked hopefully.
"And then you can read your book," Carol agreed. "She likes mystery stories the best," she told Chloe, as the girls disappeared into another room.
Chloe smiled. "So did I, when I was a kid. My favorites were these old books my mother had about a girl detective, Trixie Belden, and her friends. They were definitely from another time, but they were fun."
"Maybe they'll have them at the library," Carol suggested, and Chloe nodded before turning to the kitchen with Lucifer.
"Is that how you chose your daughter's name?" Lucifer asked, watching as Chloe filled the sink with hot, soapy water. She didn't have to scrape any leftover food from the plates, she noted. Waste not, want not.
"After Trixie Belden? Yeah, kind of." Chloe found the dishwashing supplies easily, adding, "Dan and I had the worst time picking a name. We knew she was going to be a girl, and he kept suggesting the most awful names. And no, I'm not going to tell you what they were," she added, amused, as Lucifer drew in a breath in obvious preparation for asking a question.
"Spoilsport," Lucifer teased.
Chloe nodded, conceding the point. "So we're at the hospital and I'm in labor, and she still didn't have a name. I asked the nurse for a piece of paper and a pen. I don't even know what she thought I was going to do with the pen, maybe stab Dan with it, but she gave them to me, and I wrote down list of names. I gave it to Dan and told him to pick one, and he picked Beatrice. Trixie."
She had started to wash the dishes as she spoke, the warmth of the water and the repetitive motion oddly soothing. "Hey, were you up and about much before I woke up?" She offered Lucifer a clean dish. He stared at it for a moment, then took up a dishcloth and set to work drying.
"Ah, not really," Lucifer admitted. Dish dry, he rummaged in the cabinets until he found the right spot to put it away. "Recovering and all. And I wanted to be there when you woke up, even though I fell asleep on the job."
Chloe handed Lucifer the next clean dish, and they set up a pleasant rhythm. We work well together, she thought. "I still knew you were there," she reassured. "And I'm glad. I would have worried if I'd woken up and you weren't there."
Their hands brushed as Chloe passed over the next dish, and only Lucifer's quick response kept her from dropping it.
"Ah. Yes. Glad I was there, then." Lucifer turned his attention to the dish, wiping it perhaps longer than necessary. "I think we're in Carol's room, and she's on the couch. I, ah, don't believe there's another room, besides the one for the girls."
Chloe wondered why he would bring that up. Oh, yes, he was giving her space. "Well," she said, "They don't seem to be… I mean, the girls' grandfather doesn't seem to be here, and if she's retired, they probably don't have a lot of extra money. It was really great of the neighbors to help, though, don't you think?"
"Particularly as they didn't seem especially well-off, either," Lucifer agreed. When Chloe eyed him, surprised, he added, "I do notice things, Detective. The mechanic's boots have a hole in them, and the woman who brought the pie could use a new coat."
Chloe felt her throat tighten a little. He really had grown in the time that she'd known him. Even him giving her space, as little as she appreciated it, was a far cry from the way he had pursued her, even over her objections, when they'd first known each other.
"Are you all right?" Lucifer asked. When Chloe looked over, startled, he added teasingly, "Only I don't want Carol coming in here wondering why the dishes aren't done yet."
"Good point," Chloe agreed, washing the final dish. She offered it to Lucifer, then said, hearing her awkwardness and hating it, "Look, don't worry about the sleeping arrangements, okay? It'll be fine if we sleep together."
And then it was Lucifer who nearly dropped a dish.
Of course, it was all Chloe thought of for the remainder of the evening, through Missy's recitation of her spelling words (which Lucifer made both more amusing and more challenging by using the words in comical sentences) and Molly's tentative questions about what it was really like to be a detective (which Chloe answered with careful honesty).
It wasn't like they hadn't already slept in the same bed the previous night.
When she was recovering from a car accident.
And it wasn't like that was the only time. They'd done it before.
When she was drunk, snoring like an Albanian field hand.
It would be fine.
The snow looked like it was going to stop sometime during the night, so they made a plan to try and walk to Jim's shop the next day, with both girls volunteering to show them the way.
And then it was bedtime. They went to bed early, at least by Chloe and Lucifer's standards, and Chloe slipped into the bathroom to change into her borrowed pajamas.
They were… well, there was no other word for them. Carol was a grandmother, so it made sense that her pajamas were a bit old-fashioned. But the plaid flannel nightgown was warm and comfortable, and not actually the least flattering item of clothing Chloe had ever worn.
Barely.
So it was with some trepidation that she knocked on the bedroom door, entering after Lucifer's quiet, "Come in."
They regarded each other in silence for a moment before bursting into laughter. Somehow, Jim and Ellie's boy's pajamas, which Lucifer had borrowed, were the almost the same plaid pattern as the nightgown. "I guess this is the look here," Chloe said.
Lucifer nodded his expression wry. "Just wait until tomorrow. Even more plaid."
"Aw, I'm sure you'll look fine," Chloe reassured, meaning it. "You'll make it… I don't know, lumberjack chic."
"Thank you, I think," Lucifer replied.
Chloe was, honestly, just glad he wasn't making any comments about usually sleeping in the nude. She wasn't really sure where that conversation would go, but she knew she didn't want to have it in her present surroundings. "So," she said. "Do you have a side? In the bed," she clarified, when he peered at her in confusion.
"Ah. Well, not really. I tend to…" Lucifer cleared his throat. "Never mind. Look, I could sleep on the floor."
Chloe shook her head. "Don't be silly." She moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "We're both mature adults."
"Maybe you are," Lucifer murmured.
Chloe continued as if he hadn't spoken. "And we already both slept in this bed last night, and it was fine. Okay?"
"Well, you were all but unconscious," Lucifer pointed out.
Laughing, Chloe asked, "What, do you think I'm not going to be able to control myself?"
"It has been known to happen," Lucifer admitted, with a quick grin that tried to be roguish.
"Yeah, but not with me. I'm immune to your mojo, remember?" Mostly.
Lucifer seemed to relax a little. Could he be nervous? "All right, then," he said, looking more cheerful as he got into bed. "And I won my bet with Maze."
Chloe stared at him. "You and Maze had a… didn't you learn the first time? What was it, who would be the first to sleep with me?"
Lucifer lifted his hands in a warding gesture. "In my defense, it's a very old bet. And, well, yes."
"But didn't you already win that one that night I, ah, had too much to drink?"
Shaking his head, Lucifer replied, "There was a no-inebriation clause. Wanted it to be a fair match, after all. And I assume head injuries also count as something that keeps you from making the choice yourself."
"Well, thank goodness for that," Chloe muttered, shaking her head as she eased into bed next to Lucifer, trying not to be awkward. She felt like she was fighting a losing battle there, though. "I'm surprised you don't want to take a selfie, as proof." Lucifer eased back from the bedside table, his expression too-innocent, and Chloe sighed. "Fine, go ahead. Just make sure not to get too much of the nightgown."
Lucifer brightened and grabbed his phone, holding it over their heads with the air of much practice. "Thank you, Detective. I'll send this right off, as soon as we are somewhere with cell reception."
"Wait," Chloe realized. "The bet is just for sleeping? Or is it specifically in a bed?" She assumed, since Lucifer was claiming to have won, that it wasn't about sex, though she wouldn't put it past them to have a bet like that.
"Just sleeping," Lucifer replied, puzzled.
"Then Maze won that bet last week. We both fell asleep on the couch. Trixie begged her to come watch a Christmas movie with us, and I guess it got too late."
Lucifer looked like somebody had kicked his puppy. "But why wouldn't she tell me?"
"She didn't know," Chloe replied. "She fell asleep first, and then I was out for like ten minutes and woke up." She looked over at Lucifer, trying not to laugh as she added, "I didn't take a selfie."
Lucifer sighed. "But you said it happened, which is proof enough for me. I'm not deleting our selfie, though."
"That's fine, Lucifer." Chloe rolled over on her side, trying not to to be aware of Lucifer in the bed with her. In bed with the Devil, wasn't that a saying? At the very least, it was the title of some cheesy romance novel, though even that probably wasn't about sex with the actual -
No.
Chloe wasn't going to let her mind go there, and so it was with some relief that she heard the soft rapping on the door, and the quiet, "Are you asleep?"
Chloe practically sprang from the bed to admit a rather embarrassed-looking Carol. "Is everything okay?"
Carol nodded. "Yes, of course. Missy just worried that you'd be cold, and -" She sighed. "I've found that it's better to go with what she wants, if it's reasonable, at least when it's bedtime."
"Pick your battles," Chloe agreed. "What, did she send her blanket?"
But, no, Carol was offering a teddy bear. Chloe took it, finding it surprisingly heavy and pleasantly warm. "Her hot water bottle."
"Oh." Chloe studied the rather bedraggled bear, and then nodded. "Please thank her for me. I'm sure we'll be warm enough now."
Carol did not roll her eyes, but her tolerantly amused smile suggested affection for her granddaughter, but also awareness of her foibles. "I'll do that. You two have a good night, now."
"You, too," Chloe said, closing the door behind her.
Lucifer, regarding her with amusement, asked, "The child sent us her teddy bear?"
Chloe returned to bed, nestling the bear between them. "It's a hot water bottle," she explained. "Missy was afraid we'd get cold. And don't bother reminding me that, as the Devil, you're naturally hot. That's already been established."
She regretted the words the instant they left her mouth. Lucifer's sudden smile and his murmured, "Why Detective!" only fanned the flames that seemed to have sprung up in her face.
"You know what I mean," Chloe muttered, pulling the covers up to her chin.
"Indeed I do," Lucifer agreed, his voice gone a little more restrained.
Ah. Space. Chloe just sighed. "Good night, Lucifer."
"Good night, Detective."
The night itself passed uneventfully. If it had been a movie, or one of those romance books, Chloe would have woken the next morning enveloped in Lucifer's arms, unable to hold herself back during the night, and after that…
Well, it wasn't a romance book. Chloe was too aware of her own personal space, and Lucifer was showing restraint, so she woke on her own side of the bed. She did enjoy the sight, the next morning, of Lucifer cuddled with Missy's hot water teddy bear. And if she snapped a picture of him, well, nobody needed to know.
After a hearty breakfast, in which Lucifer and Missy conspired to see just how much brown sugar they could put on their oatmeal, Lucifer and Chloe bundled up in borrowed winter gear and set off for Jim's shop, accompanied by the two girls to show them the way. The snow was deep enough for Chloe to be grateful for the snowshoes that Carol had urged upon them, as the walk was not a short one.
The girls, of course, had no problem. Missy flitted ahead, while Molly walked next to Chloe, relaying tidbits of information about the town. There, she said, was the library, one of her favorite places. Over there was the corner store, where the owner was known to give free candy on occasion. And that building used to be Miss Rosa's shop, but nobody else had bought it when she left to live with her niece.
"Gram says you've really lived in a place when you can tell the used-to-bes," she added, and Chloe wanted to hug her. The buildings themselves seemed mostly in good repair, but small and weathered, not unlike the town itself.
The little girl kept sneaking looks at her, and Chloe said, "Is there something you want to ask me, Molly?"
"Is it hard to be a police officer?"
Chloe hesitated over her answer. "Sometimes," she replied.
"When people do bad things, sometimes it's scary?"
Lucifer, catching wind of the conversation, moved off after Missy, and Chloe sent him a grateful smile. "It can be. But sometimes the people who are doing bad things need help, and it's important that they get it."
Molly nodded, her small face serious. "My dad needed help like that once," she said, her words coming slowly. "And the police helped him, kind of. They helped me and Missy, kept us safe."
Chloe offered her hand to Molly, and the little girl clung to it through her thin gloves.
Chloe said, "Lucifer and I, we try to help as much as we can. We can't always, but we try."
Molly nodded once more, a short, decisive gesture. "That's what I want to do when I grow up," she confided. "Help people, the way you do."
Chloe thought of all the death she had seen, the lives destroyed, and she almost wanted to tell the child, No, do something else. But then she saw Molly's determination, and only said, "I hope you do."
Missy took that moment to send a particularly well-aimed snowball at her sister, and Molly shrieked and scooped a handful of snow, retaliation obviously in mind. Chloe, laughing, and even Lucifer joined in the snowball fight, Molly and Chloe facing off against Lucifer and Missy.
The battle ended in a draw, or close enough that Chloe wasn't going to argue for the top spot, and she soon greeted the appearance of Jim's shop with no small amount of relief. "This has been a workout," she breathed. "My poor thighs."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucifer purse his lips and inhale as if to comment, but then shake his head.
"Can we play out here while you talk to Mr. Jim?" Missy pleaded.
"What would your gram say?" Chloe replied, mostly to Molly.
Missy said promptly, "She'd say yes!"
"If we stayed close," Molly allowed, and Chloe nodded.
"Is anyone even there?" Lucifer asked. The door opened when he turned the knob, though the lights were off in the shop itself. "Asking to be burgled," he muttered.
"In a town like this?" Chloe asked, amused, before raising her voice. "Hello? Jim? It's Chloe and Lucifer." She fumbled with the snowshoes, taking a minute to remove them.
Lucifer shook his head. "Small towns aren't exempt from crime," he said, removing his own snowshoes with somewhat more grace.
A light came in in the back of the shop, soon followed by Jim himself. "Good morning. Looks like you made it okay. Here, c'mon back. Ellie's left some cocoa on; we were expecting you."
"The girls are out front," Chloe suggested.
"They'll be fine," Jim reassured her. "Probably want to run off some energy after being cooped up. I'll send out some cookies for them with you when you leave, though, if you don't mind." He led the way through the shop, where Chloe's battered car was up on a lift, and to a cozy little apartment at the back of the shop. "Don't worry about the car," he added. "Looks worse than it is. Here, sit down, you must be freezing. Ellie's off at the neighbor's, but she said to make sure you got some of her cocoa."
Chloe, after unzipping her coat, let herself be urged into the chair closest to the fire, unable to keep back a contented sigh as she sat. Lucifer soon didn't he same, and Chloe couldn't help but smile at his plaid shirt and jeans. Between that and the scruff and the hair that had gone fascinatingly curly in the absence of his usual product, Lucifer looked like… she wasn't even sure what, but she liked it.
Jim puttered about in the kitchen as he spoke, eventually coming in with three mugs on a tray. "Ellie will be sad that she missed you," he said as he doled out the cocoa. "But Jane next door has gotten older, and her Carlos passed last year, so Ellie wanted to check on her. I'll go out and do her sidewalks here in a bit."
Chloe pulled off her borrowed mittens to cradle her mug, reveling in its warmth. "You all seem to look out for each other around here," she said. Taking a careful sip of her cocoa, she added, "This is perfect, thank you." Between the cocoa and the fire, she soon grew pleasantly warm.
Jim smiled. "It's Ellie's secret recipe. She always keeps some handy, when we have a storm. And, well, of course we help each other," he added. "It's what we were raised to do." He spoke as if kindness and neighborliness was only the natural thing to do.
"Most aren't, these days," Lucifer observed, his expression thoughtful.
"Well, that's their loss," Jim replied, his manner a little more blunt. "My daughter lives in the city, and she doesn't even know her neighbors." He shook his head, clearly uncomprehending. Turning to Lucifer, he added, "Jimmy's clothes suit you. I'm glad to see you're getting some use out of them."
Lucifer paused over his response, even going so far as to take a sip of cocoa to give himself more time. "I appreciate the loan of them," he said finally. "They're very warm. And comfortable."
They weren't as tight as his suits, Chloe mused, but they certainly had their appeal. Taking pity on Lucifer, she added, "About the car, though? And do you know when the roads will be cleared? And… your radio. My family. Were you able…?" Suddenly all the worries of the real world came crashing in, and she had to take a breath to steady herself.
"Here, now," Jim said, his voice gentle. "It's okay, miss. I heard back from your people. Fellow name of Dan got back to me, said he and Trixie are fine, and that your friends are going to pitch in with her when he has to work." He smiled, reaching over to pat her arm with his gnarled hand. "Looks like some people in the big city look after each other, hmm?"
"Yeah," Chloe agreed, blinking back her tears. Stupid, she thought. Stupid that she should cry now, when she knew that they were all right.
Jim continued with his soothing chatter. "Now that the snow's stopped, the roads shouldn't be too much longer. Sherry has a plow, and she'll likely get to it pretty soon now. As for your car, I'm just missing a part. Though if you're looking to get it done faster, I can probably get a trucker buddy of mine to get it most of the way. The main roads get cleared sooner, you know. The two of you could take a snowmobile out to get it, if you like. I can get on the radio with my buddy."
"Yeah," Chloe repeated, after a quick look to see Lucifer's nod. "That'd be great. Thank you so much."
Jim beamed. "See? It'll be okay. You sit here and enjoy your cocoa, and I'll go see what I can do."
It all happened pretty quickly after that. One of Jim's trucker buddies was in the right spot, and they charged the part to one of Lucifer's credit cards. "Might want to wait a bit before you head out," Jim advised. "You don't want to be there in the cold too long, and it won't take me any time once I've got that part."
"I'd like to check on the girls," Chloe suggested, and Jim nodded agreeably, saying he'd meet them out front with the snowmobile.
"Don't forget some cookies," he added.
The girls had put their time to good use, and had constructed the beginnings of a sizable snowman. Chloe offered the treats from Jim, and was met with delight.
"Thanks, Detective," Molly called. She nudged her sister and got a mumbled thank-you from her as well, though Molly she hesitated as Lucifer approached. "What should I call you?"
"Lucifer," he replied, though he grimaced at Molly's uneasy look. "It's all right, really."
"We don't call grown-ups by their first names," Molly said, and Chloe saw some of the tension leave Lucifer's body. "Gram says that's disrespectful." She peered up at him, then suggested, tone still a little hesitant, "Mister Lucifer?"
He laughed, and Chloe caught the edge of relief in his tone. "Well, that's a mouthful, but if that's what you desire, feel free."
"Mister Lucifer," Missy tried, giggling. "Watch!" And she flung herself down on the ground, making a snow angel. "See my wings?"
"Oh, do you have them, too?" Lucifer asked, though he subsided at Chloe's amused look. "Ah, yes, very nice."
"Your turn," Missy demanded, grinning up at Lucifer.
"Missy, don't," Molly scolded, but the smaller girl didn't seem at all repentant, instead clambering to her feet and pulling at Lucifer's hand.
"Come on, Mister Lucifer. Mistifer Luci. Luci," she squealed, delighted.
Lucifer attempted to dislodge himself from the child's fingers. "That's what my brother calls me," he said, perhaps as a distraction. "My sister calls me Lulu."
"Lulu," Missy shrieked, before dissolving into giggles. Still, Lucifer looked relieved as she released his hand.
Molly eyed her sister with disdain, before turning to Lucifer. "She's younger than you, right?" Lucifer nodded, and Molly sighed. "It's hard to be older."
Missy had returned to making snow angels, apparently unconcerned.
"It gets easier as you grow," Chloe said sympathetically.
Lucifer snorted. "Says the woman with no siblings." Turning to Molly, he said briskly, "In some ways it does, but you're forming behavioral patterns that will last throughout your life." Chloe stared at him, and he added, "I do occasionally listen to Linda."
Molly just shook her head. "I'm glad I've only got one sister. You're lucky, Detective."
"I always wanted a brother or sister," Chloe admitted. "And I'll bet my little girl would like one, but one Decker woman a generation is enough, I think."
Lucifer looked down at her, something fond in his eyes; before he could speak, Missy called, "Come on, Mister Lulu! Snow angel time!"
Looking to turn aside Molly's incipient scolding, Chloe offered, "I'll make one for you Missy." She stretched out in the soft snow, hoping that her borrowed coat was waterproof.
It had been ages since she'd done it, but the motions came back to her easily. Laughing, she sat up to see her handiwork, then took Lucifer's proffered hand to get to her feet. He leaned down to murmur to her, his breath warm on her cheek, "You're too good to be one of them."
Well. She knew his opinion about angels. Chloe couldn't think of anything to say, though, her attention caught by how close he was. She leaned a little closer, heedless of the small, curious children, and -
The roar of the snowmobile interrupted anything she might have done - which was nothing of course; what had she been thinking? Jim grinned at them for a moment before giving directions to their destination and then going over how the snowmobile worked. "It's big enough for two," he concluded, handing over the helmets. "But it'll be a bit snug. You'll probably fit better with you in front," he added to Chloe.
Chloe nodded. "Guess I'm driving."
"I'll see the girls home," Jim said. The three of them watched as first Chloe and then Lucifer climbed onto the machine.
"Best hang on, son," Jim advised, and Chloe was glad that the helmet hid her smile. Lucifer rested his hands tentatively on her hips, and Jim added, "Nice to see a young man with manners, but you'll need to hold her tighter than that."
Lucifer settled in closer, his grip around her waist reassuringly tight, and Chloe started up the snowmobile and was off, the girls' farewells fading into the distance.
The helmets and the machine's noise made conversation impossible, but Chloe still enjoyed being alone with Lucifer, even without talking. Of course, she appreciated the kindness of the people who had helped them, but she was grateful for the relative peace. Even the inability to talk with Lucifer was something of a blessing, as it allowed her to take some time to think.
He was the Devil. She had accepted that on the rooftop all those months ago, even though she still wasn't entirely sure what that meant in the grand scheme of things. They had talked about it a little, but she still struggled to resolve the man she knew with the devil of the tales. Maybe there was no resolution.
She trusted him. She didn't question that.
He was good. That was something she hadn't had to decide; she knew it in her bones.
She… cared for him. Yes. Certainly as a friend; maybe as something more. At the very least, she saw the potential for something, and it wasn't because of his desire gifts, which didn't work on her, after all. But when she looked at him, she liked what she saw. More, she liked the way he made her feel.
He had given her space, which, yes, had been good and generous of him. She'd needed it to deal with her world getting tipped off its axis, but time - okay, and Linda - had helped.
Maybe she was ready to see what they could be together. They'd come so close so many times, and sometimes it felt like things kept happening to prevent them from being together.
Lucifer's grip loosened around her waist, and she looked in the direction that he'd pointed. There, in the distance, was a truck; she turned the snowmobile in that direction. Soon enough, they reached the truck, and Jim's buddy, Casey. She handed over the part, waving away their thanks, and wished them a safe trip back to the shop.
"Are you warm enough to take a little break before we head back?" Lucifer asked. "Must be tiring to drive that thing, with all the steering and leaning."
Chloe nodded, turning to take in the view. With the exception of the road, the snow was an unbroken expanse. The sky was so pale that it was hard to find the line between it and the land, and Chloe squinted against the sun's brightness. "It really is gorgeous here," she said, enjoying the novelty of seeing her breath. She moved away from the snowmobile to stretch her legs, and Lucifer fell in step with her.
"It is," Lucifer agreed. "Don't know that I'd like this every day, but it's nice for a little while."
"Yeah, I'd miss LA. But maybe I should bring Trixie up here, let her see the snow." She stepped a little harder, feeling the crunch of the snow under her borrowed boots. Mercifully, it wasn't as deep here as it was in town.
"Has she, ever?" Lucifer queried.
Chloe nodded. "Dan's got family in Colorado, and we get out to visit them sometimes, but it's been years. She'd love it."
"You should, then," Lucifer agreed.
There was one of those silences that seemed to come up on occasion, and with anybody else it would have been awkward, but with Lucifer it just felt comfortable. "Why don't you come, too?" she suggested, shocked by her own impulsiveness. "With Trixie and me."
Lucifer stopped walking altogether, and when Chloe turned to look, his expression was one of surprise. "Come with you?" he echoed.
Chloe smiled. "Yeah. It might be good to spend some time together, away from everybody else. I mean, more than we've got right now. I mean…" She didn't finish the thought, and shook her head. "Sorry. I'm being a dork. But it would be nice. Trix would love it, too."
"You're not being a dork," Lucifer replied promptly, though not without a smile. Growing a little more serious, he added, "Are you certain, Detective? I've been trying to give you space."
"Yeah, and I appreciate that," Chloe replied earnestly. "But I've been thinking, and maybe I've had enough space. Maybe I need… not-space."
"Detective," Lucifer breathed. "Are you certain?"
Chloe leaned in, sending every kiss me signal she could; after all his space, she wanted him to feel comfortable making the move. "Yeah," she said, closing her eyes. She could feel him getting closer, but then a sudden crack jerked her attention back to the moment. Before she could do anything, she felt herself being lifted. Wind whipped across her face as she opened her eyes to find herself some ten feet in the air, cradled in Lucifer's arms.
"What," she began, and then a shudder went through her as she remembered their earlier flight, and the events surrounding it.
Lucifer perhaps catching her mood, quickly came to a landing next to the massive tree branch that had fallen right where Chloe had been standing. She didn't believe in signs, really, but knowing that there actually was a god, and that he was Lucifer's actual father... well, it did make her wonder.
She looked over at Lucifer, then, her attention caught by his wings. She'd seen them before, of course, but the circumstances had been such that she hadn't paid too much attention. Now, surrounded by the glitter of the snow, they almost seemed to glow.
Looking closer, she realized that there wasn't an almost about it. They were glowing. Her breath caught in her chest at the picture he made, hair ruffled by the wind of his flight, but his expression only one of concern for her.
"My apologies," he said. "I overreacted."
"I'm glad you did," Chloe replied, her relieved exhalation holding an edge of nervous laughter. "Don't think I could have bounced back from that. Thank you."
Lucifer gave an odd little shrug, and his wings vanished. He reached for her, a small tremor in his hand, then pulled away.
"Hey," Chloe said gently. "Enough space, okay?"
Lucifer smiled, a hint of wonder in his eyes. He reached to touch Chloe's cheek, and Chloe was suddenly, selfishly glad that he'd chosen not to wear gloves. "I would never let you come to harm," he said fervently.
Chloe leaned into his hand, then looked up at him. "I know." She tried to put all her trust in her voice, and it seemed to work, for he leaned down, finally, and brushed his lips against hers. He met her gaze, cautious, his brows lifting, and she laughed and pulled him down for another, more thorough kiss.
I'm kissing the Devil, she realized. Would she always think that, when she kissed him?
Chloe decided that didn't really matter. They were there. That was enough.
Amusingly enough, it was Lucifer who pulled away first. "As much as I'm enjoying this, we don't want them to send out a search party," he suggested, his voice amused.
"Yeah, no," Chloe agreed, laughing. "We'd better get back."
Lucifer nodded and gestured for her to precede him, and if Chloe's thoughts weren't entirely on her driving on the way back to Jim's shop, well, who could blame her?
Everything moved fairly quickly after that. Those townspeople with snowplows - and there were more than Chloe had guessed, attached to vehicles from lawnmowers to pickup trucks - got to work, and the way to the main road out of town was soon cleared.
"We pull together here," Carol said, when Chloe remarked at the speed at which the task was accomplished.
"I can see that."
Jim got to work as well, and Chloe's car was soon driveable, if still somewhat battered. "You'll want to take it to an auto body shop," he cautioned her. "But it'll get you home. You just drive careful, you hear?"
"I will, Jim," Chloe replied, feeling unaccountably choked up. "Thank you."
It seemed like the whole town gathered to see them off, with the two little girls at the front of the pack. There were handshakes and good wishes all around, and even a few hugs, and then Lucifer and Chloe were off.
They drive in silence for a while, and then Chloe observed, "They're good people."
"They are," Lucifer agreed, his expression a little distant.
"You okay?" Chloe asked gently.
Lucifer made a vaguely affirmative sound. "Those children saw the car crash out the window, and got help. The whole town mobilized. Jim towed the car and Carol was like a tidal wave making sure you were taken out safely, and they just kept… giving, even though they didn't have much, themselves."
Chloe nodded. "Yeah," he agreed softly. "They did."
"I'm just not sure why," Lucifer continued, speaking slowly as if he were groping for the words. "They didn't know us from Adam's off ox. I'm… grateful. But I don't understand."
Chloe took a moment to turn Lucifer's phrasing over in her head, and filed away the question of whether Adam actually had oxen for later. Adam, who, she suddenly realized, could have been her father-in-law if things had gone differently. No, she definitely didn't want to think of that. "I mean, like I said, they're good people."
She caught Lucifer's headshake out of the corner of her eye. "Plenty of supposedly good people would have done nothing. How many times do humans turn a blind eye when they know their fellows are suffering? I'm not talking about charitable donations to help with big-picture problems. I mean actually being present when someone is being assaulted and doing nothing. Staying silent while another is bullied. Allowing hate to grow by their inaction." The volume of his voice had started to rise.
"Lucifer, hey." Chloe reached out to touch his hand for a moment before returning it to the steering wheel. "Look, in… hell -" She still had to make herself say it. "- you saw the worst of humanity, and you saw it for a really long time."
"Yes," Lucifer agreed, his voice stiff. She glanced over, and he was looking out the window, away from her.
"But since you've been here, um, on Earth, you've seen some good, too right? I mean, Patrick does that food drive every year, so people can have a better Thanksgiving."
"Yes," Lucifer repeated, his voice softer.
Chloe smiled. "And my mother - my mother of all people - has been volunteering at a youth center, teaching acting classes."
"Penelope, really?"
"Really. I mean, don't think she's not telling the world about it, but her heart is in the right place, and she really seems to care about the kids. Look, I've seen people doing a lot of good in this world. Maybe those people who helped us, maybe they're the normal ones. Maybe people really are good." She hesitated, then added more softly, "Some of them, at least."
"You are," Lucifer said, his voice gone intent. "I can't really speak for the rest of humanity, but you're good, Detective." He finally turned to face her. "Chloe."
Well. Chloe's immediate response was to deny it, to say that, no, she was just a regular person, not anything special. But he'd actually used her name, and she certainly wanted to encourage that.
Maybe he just needed to believe in her.
"I do my best."
"Yes," he said again. He hesitated, then said, "I want to do something for them, to repay their kindness."
Chloe shook her head. "I don't think they would take money, but it's a great idea."
"No, not money. Practical gifts. New boots for Jim, a coat for Millie. Toys for the children, and warm hats, and mittens."
Chloe couldn't speak for a long moment, and she had to blink quickly to clear her vision.
"Detective," Lucifer began, concerned.
"Chloe," she corrected gently. "Lucifer, I think that's the perfect idea."
The plan came together more quickly than Chloe had imagined, aided in no small part by Lucifer's money. Chloe and Lucifer roped in their friends, telling them all about their experience during the storm. Dan even joined in, despite his grief over Charlotte, buoyed on by Ella's boundless enthusiasm.
Linda, amazingly, had a friend who had retired to that area, and he provided a list of the townspeople, and gifts that would be particularly helpful. Lucifer insisted that everybody should get a present. "None of that ridiculous holiday paper, though," he insisted. "Silver. It's classic."
Maze was initially unenthusiastic, but Chloe looked the other way when Linda suggested that going to the mall to find the perfect gifts was kind of like bounty hunting. She was wise enough to add that Maze couldn't use her knives if other shoppers got pushy.
"Mom?" Trixie asked, when everything was nearly ready.
"Yeah, babe? I'm sorry I've been so busy lately."
Trixie smiled with her whole face, something Chloe loved about her. "No, I'm glad we're helping the people. And I went to the mall with Maze yesterday. It was awesome."
Chloe decided not to ask for details. "I'm glad you had fun."
"I've got an idea for a present for Molly." Trixie ran into her room and came back carrying a cardboard box. "Do you think she'll like them? And maybe a badge from the precinct, one of the ones you give kids?"
Chloe reached into the box and pulled out one of the battered paperbacks. Her throat tightened as she read the title: Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion. "Trix, are you sure?"
Trixie nodded. "I think she needs them more than I do," she said, her eyes nearly disappearing in another smile as she added, "Besides, I've already read them."
Chloe hugged her daughter close. "Thank you, Monkey."
She added the box to the pile of gifts.
Linda's friend Nick met them when they got into town. "Everybody's gathered at the church hall," he said, shaking first Lucifer's hand and then Chloe's. "They don't know what's going on, but they figured it was a party and brought food," he added, with a fond grin.
Trixie looked delighted by the snow, and studied the town with interest as the group followed Nick. Everybody carried silver packages, and Dan pulled the wagon that was heaped with more gifts, and that was itself a gift for Millie's small grandson.
Only Maze had refused to come, despite Trixie's pleas, insisting that she'd already had her fun at the mall and really didn't want to deal with all the human emotions that would inevitably result.
"At the church," Lucifer murmured. He, too, had almost backed out of the trip, but Chloe had said please and he had smiled, his expression gone a little silly, and agreed.
"Is that okay?" Chloe asked, low-voiced.
"I mean, I'm not going to burst into flames or anything, but it is a little awkward."
"You'll be fine," Chloe reassured.
Still, when they reached the church, Lucifer hesitated. Chloe didn't want to push him, but waited with him as the others went in.
After a moment, the door burst open and Missy flew out. "Mister Lulu," she shrieked, all but dancing as she made her way to him and grabbed at his hand.
"I don't know what she sees in me," Lucifer said though he was smiling as Missy all but dragged him into the church.
"I do," Chloe said as she followed.
Their entrance was met with fond greetings and handshakes, and even a hug or two. Introductions were made all around, and Trixie was soon fast friends with Missy and Molly and the other children, tearing around in a pack with cookies and cups of punch.
After a time, Carol made her way over to Chloe and Lucifer, her smile warm, her smile warm, her eyes shining. "You didn't have to do this."
Chloe shrugged, looking at the crowd. Present-opening had begun, and Dan had been pressed into announcing the recipients. He smiled more than he had since Charlotte's death. Children exclaimed over their gifts as their parents watched, some through tears. "No," she agreed. "But we wanted to."
Molly's name was called then, and Chloe turned to watch. The little girl left her conversation with Trixie and made her way up to take the present from Dan. She opened it, taking care not to rip the paper, and then looked up with a bright smile, instinctively seeking out Chloe's gaze as she pulled on the small police officer cap and brandished one of the books for all to see.
There was general approval from the crowd, and Chloe smiled over to Molly in turn, pleased that the gift had made the girl so happy.
"Good choice, Det - ah, Chloe," Lucifer approved, with a nod toward Molly.
Molly, still wearing the cap, rejoined the other children. They were plotting something, if the giggles and the sneaky looks in Lucifer and Chloe's direction were any sign, but Chloe pretended not to notice. Still, she wasn't surprised when Missy sidled up to them, something tucked behind her back. "Surprise!" she announced, pulling a stick with mistletoe hanging from the end of it, and thrusting it over Lucifer and Chloe's heads. Mercifully, no eyes were lost in that process, though it was a near thing.
The other children, looking very pleased with themselves, watched from a few feet away.
"You have to," Missy prodded
Tugging at her cap, Molly called, "It's the rules."
Lucifer bent in a little closer, his breath brushing her ear as he murmured, "We know how much you love to follow the rules." Still, he waited for her nod before he kissed her, slow and sweet, to the delight of the crowd.
"Mom?" Trixie asked as she settled to a seat next to Chloe, who looked over with a smile. "Could we do this again next year?"
Chloe drew her daughter close, feeling tears prickle at her eyes, and nodded. "Of course, babe."
"Of course," Lucifer echoed, his voice quiet.
And so they did. They came the next year, and for many years to come. The townspeople rejoiced when they heard that Lucifer and Chloe had married; Lucifer, Chloe, and the others rejoiced in turn the year that Molly became town sheriff. And nobody ever asked why Molly had a piece of silver wrapping paper in a frame on her desk, because everybody knew.