"It's...all true..."
"Yes... finally, you understand. I told you, I never lie." Eventually, the detective would have to figure it out. She was an intelligent woman, and with everything that had just happened, to still think Lucifer's entire, eternal life was just "metaphor" would have been insane.
"You're... you're the devil..."
Lucifer sighed. "I thought we both agreed that I wasn't anymore... that I've grown, become... better..."
"Lucifer, how... how can you say that while you're looking at me with that face?"
"Detective, what—no. Oh, no, no, it can't be back!" The sudden realization of what Chloe was seeing dawned on him, and Lucifer looked down into the marble floor at his own reflection. There it was: his Devil Face, red and scarred and terrifying, even to himself now, staring back at him. "NO! It was gone! I was better, I was supposed to be better, it's supposed to be GONE!" In his rage, he slammed a fist into the ground, his supernatural strength shattering it and leaving cracks across his reflection.
He looked up as he heard a small gasp, and saw Chloe take a step back. Then he watched in pain as she drew her gun. "Lucifer... stay back. I shot you once, and... and I'll do it again..."
"Detective...please...I'm not going to hurt you..." He took a step forward, and Chloe's hand twitched, causing him to stop short.
"I said stay back! That face... you just cracked the floor... how can you expect me to... how can I possibly..." Chloe searched for words, but couldn't imagine what words would describe how she felt. She held back tears in a mix of fear, confusion, and determination
Lucifer sighed. "I suppose I can't, can I? This is what I feared... that if you knew... that if you finally understood who I was... what I was... you couldn't ever see me the same way again. And I was right, wasn't I? Even if my handsome face returns, you'll only ever see fire and brimstone in my eyes from now on, won't you?"
"Are you trying to tell me that you're the same person? The same Brit that makes bad jokes and can't even tell when a case isn't about him? That under that... completely insane... devil face... is a loving narcissist with a taste for fashion and sleazy women?" She never once lowered her weapon.
"YES, Detective!" He was hurting, but he was also growing tired of explaining himself. "I'm the devil you know! See? A bad pun. Same me, same Lucifer... and I care for you just as much as ever. I sacrificed everything for you... I saved you from Pierce and his army... I love you, Chloe Decker, and that hasn't changed. The only thing that's changed is my face, and your faith in me. So please, Detective... have faith in me... before I lose that myself..." He felt a single fiery tear begin rolling down his red cheek.
Chloe glanced from the devil in front of her down to the lifeless body of Lieutenant Pierce, the man she briefly loved, the Sinnerman... the man who just tried to kill her. She'd stepped in front of Lucifer, got shot, and the next thing she knew she was waking up in Lucifer's arms on a roof. And now Pierce and his army were dead... she looked back to Lucifer and lowered her gun. "You did, didn't you? You saved my life... it's really you under there, isn't it?"
"It's always been me, Detective. Every word the truth. Always."
Chloe suddenly found herself running into the arms of the man she'd just considered a monster. Shocked, Lucifer slowly put his arms around her and cherished the embrace. Surely, she'd come to her senses soon enough, run from him (emotionally if not literally), and whatever he had dreamed of having would be gone. But for now, he would hold her, and he would love her, and he would make the most of the time he had left with her.
"Lucifer... I can't... I don't know how to rationalize it anymore... I don't know how to deny it, as much as I want to... and if you're actually the devil, I feel like I should hate you..."
"No, Detective, please...not you, too..."
"But I can't. I can't hate you, Lucifer. Not after everything we've been through. Everything you've done for me, even when you drove me completely crazy... and even when you were a total idiot... and even when I wanted to strangle you..."
"Okay, that's enough compliments for now, I think," quipped Lucifer, and he closed his eyes to enjoy her tearful chuckle in response.
"What I'm trying to say is... I love you, too. And whatever you are... it doesn't matter. What matters is who you are. You may be the devil, but you're not a monster. Not to me."
Lucifer, suddenly solemn, pulled himself away from the embrace and looked into his partner's eyes. "But that's just it, Detective. If my devil face is back, it means that I must be a monster. Or at least I believe I am."
Chloe's brow furrowed in confusion. "Lucifer, I don't..."
"There's a lot to catch you up on. Too much. And Dan and Miss Lopez will be on their way, no doubt, so we don't have enough time."
"Oh, God, they can't see you like this!"
"Please don't bring up Dad now!" Lucifer responded in exasperation. "But you're right. I'll try to... hide it, at least, like I used to..." It took all his concentration, all his convincing himself that maybe he wasn't terrible enough for everyone to see his face, but eventually, he could feel his skin being replaced by more human flesh. Well, angel flesh, but they were quite similar enough anyway.
"You could do that the whole time we've known each other?" Chloe asked, her hand now on his cheek.
"That's part of the long story. Let's just-"
"CHLOE!" It was Detective Dan Espinoza's voice shouting from the entryway. He ran up to the pair, Ella Lopez behind him. As Chloe hugged both of them in turn, Dan scanned the room. "What the hell happened here?"
Chloe looked at Lucifer, who gave her an expression of responsibility. One that said, "it's up to you, but do you really think it's wise?" without saying a word. "It's... Pierce shot me, but I was wearing a vest. I shot back, and I got him, but his crew started returning fire. Lucifer and I... we made a good team. He saved me."
Dan looked at Lucifer in disbelief, but ultimately accepted it. He clapped his rival's shoulder. "Thanks, man. Really, thank you."
"All in a day's work, Detective Douche. Sorry, Dan, stress again!" Dan rolled his eyes. Lucifer just didn't know when to stop.
"So Pierce is dead, which is at least one win, but... how do we explain this? You said it yourself, Chloe, Charlotte..." Dan choked a bit saying her name. "Charlotte didn't have enough evidence that he was the Sinnerman."
"Ah! But that's where the Detective's genius comes in. She recorded her conversation with him earlier, when he threatened his lackey's imaginary sister and practically admitted everything. Didn't you, Detective?" Lucifer knew her better than he knew any other human, and he knew she would have such a trick up her sleeve. Chloe nodded.
"YES!" Ella fist-pumped the air. "A recorded confession, not to mention the amount of evidence probably spread across this room like some nasty frat party... everyone will know what he did. That's what I call justice."
"Yeah... justice..." Dan seemed somber, despite Ella's celebration.
Ella pouted. "I know, it won't bring Charlotte back. Even after justice is served, she's gone for good. I don't understand why... I don't know if there's a plan, but I can't see how there can be one... all I can offer right now is a hug. I know it's not much, but..." Dan quickly embraced Ella and, though surprised, she smiled warmly and hugged him back. No one said a word.
"Let's just get back to Lux for now... deal with Pierce's buddy... then we'll figure out where to go from there. One step at a time..." Chloe looked at Lucifer as she said the last words, and for once, he understood what she meant right away.
One week later, after evidence had been collected and presented, Pierce's truth had been revealed to the world (minus the celestial bits), and everyone's names were in the process of being cleared, Chloe sat on a piano bench in a swanky penthouse next to Lucifer. "So, to make sure I understand everything..."
"For the hundredth time, Detective..."
"Look, you can't expect me to just take it all in so quickly!"
"You're slower to catch up than Linda was."
Chloe looked shocked. "Wait... Linda knows? How long?"
"Feels like ages, really. She didn't want to tell you because she didn't think you'd believe her anyway. I wonder where she got that idea from?" he teased.
"Linda knows. Huh. So you're the devil. Rebelled against God and sent to rule over Hell as punishment. You punish evil..."
"Well, sort of. People punish themselves. Their guilt fuels the torture. The demons are just there to play with the details, and I oversee it all. Or used to."
"Demons. Like Maze..."
"Hell's most skilled torturer, in fact," elaborated Lucifer with a proud smile.
"That explains so much," Chloe whispered. "But if you punish evil, then you're not evil... you're like me. We get justice."
"So I keep telling myself..."
"And Amenadiel is also an angel. Who can...stop time?"
"He could. Probably can again, but I wouldn't know anymore seeing as he flew back home to the Silver City without saying goodbye."
"With... Charlotte's soul?"
"Most likely, yes."
"The one that was in hell while your mother... the goddess of creation... possessed her dead body..."
"Yes, so you can understand why it concerned me when Charlotte tried to make out with me, can't you?"
"Okay, so... you lost your devil face, and Amenadiel lost his wings and powers... but he got them back to fly Charlotte up to heaven – this sounds so ridiculous! – and your devil face came back, too. Why?"
"I don't know. I used to think it was Dad the Master Puppeteer manipulating us to suit his whims, but... Amenadiel had a different idea. He thought that, just as hell's torture is created by a person's guilt, perhaps all the celestial where's and when's are fueled by our own subconscious, too. Like, I felt like a monster after the rebellion, so I became one... my devil face appeared... I didn't feel like an angel anymore, so I cut off my wings, and they never grew back. When Amenadiel felt like a failure of an angel, he lost his wings and powers, too. But I guess he changed his mind, and the wings came back."
"And...your wings?"
"I suppose... working with you, and being with you... I felt less like a devil every day. So I lost my devil face, and my wings came back... over and over..."
"I'm glad they did, Lucifer," Chloe said with a smile.
"I suppose I am, too... but now..."
"Now your devil face is back, and your wings are gone again. You think it's because you feel like a monster again?"
"I don't... I truly don't know anymore... I killed Pierce. I killed a human. Does that make me a monster?"
"I don't think so. It was self-defense, Lucifer... and ME defense..."
"Maybe. But angels can't kill humans. It's like Angel Rule Number One. And I broke it. So maybe this one... maybe this one isn't about how I see myself. Maybe this is just about Dad and His rules after all. Angels can't kill humans, I killed a human – if you can call Cain that – and so I can't be an angel. And if I'm not an angel, what's left? Just... the devil."
"Lucifer..."
"I think we should call it a night, Detective. Get some sleep."
"I can... stay the night, if you want?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it's best you don't. I love you, Detective, but I need some time alone to think."
Chloe nodded. "Alright. Yeah, I get it. But Lucifer? I love you, too. Don't forget that. And I'm still here for you."
"And I, you."
The two shared a parting kiss, and Chloe stood and made her way into the elevator. Lucifer stared after her longingly, wondering if he deserved any of this, or anything anymore.