The Devil's Due
The knowledge of what he needed to do came to him in a single resounding moment of truth, a touch of clarity in the chaos. She was his friend. Before three minutes ago he hadn't understood what that meant. Not in the way he understood it now.
"Why did you do it?"
He repeated those tremulous words to her while his dark eyes stared intently, unable to look away. There were no jokes. No amusing quips or snarky remarks. There was truth in this moment, as ugly and painful as it was. Truth in her beauty, her intelligence, her unmatched fearlessness, and the utter wasted potential if she was to die now.
He felt sick at the sight of the blood staining her chest beneath his hands. She hadn't done anything to deserve this but offer friendship to a man who had none. She'd offered understanding instead of judgement, seen the good where others only saw darkness. She'd redeemed him and his father had repaid her in kind with this despicable end.
He grimaced and let out an unearthly howl that came from the very depths of his soul.
"AMENADIEL!"
Time slowed around them and came to a halt. The blood that'd been pulsing beneath his hands ceased to stir and whether it was hours or minutes he'd at the very least bought her time. His brother appeared in all his angelic glory, his brow furrowed in an unconvincing look of consternation.
"Help her."
Amenadiel's hands went up, placating and evasive, "Lucifer…"
Rage tore through him, blinding him with its intensity. He tackled his angelic brother to the ground and let his fists do the rest of the talking. With each blow landed he drew back to land another, not feeling the least bit satisfied by any of it. It was exhaustion that eventually counselled him and he sat back eyeing his brother's bloodied face.
"She didn't deserve this, Amenadiel. Help her."
"If it is our father's will-"
He grabbed his brother's collar in his fists and jerked him to his feet. He practically dragged him over to where Chloe's body laid motionless. The bullet wound in her chest still angry and red if not at present gushing every ounce of her lifeblood out of her body.
"This is not our father's will," he spat, gesticulating in Chloe's direction. "Our father did not raise Malcolm from the depths of hell and put a gun in his hand. That was you, brother. One final act of desperation to force me to return to hell. Do you deny it?"
"No."
The calm uncaring of his brother's response sent him to his knees. He took Chloe's hand in his and allowed his other a rare caress of her cheek.
"I won't let you die," he promised her despite knowing she couldn't hear him. And then turning to his brother he offered up a defeated look.
"All right, you've won."
Amenadiel clasped his hands in front of him and exhaled a low sigh. "I'm glad you're finally seeing reason, Lucifer."
"Her life is worth far more than this meaningless sacrifice," he explained, his words grating a hard edge even as tears blurred his vision. "She deserves better."
"So you will agree to return to hell?"
He sent his brother a dark, cutting look and felt his head nod in agreement. His soul withered at the thought of spending the rest of eternity in that place, but as his eyes fell on Chloe there was no hint of doubt in his choice. She deserved this life, whatever she chose to make of it. And without his brother's continued interference she'd be a far deal safer.
"And in exchange you will restore her life."
He glanced over his shoulder just long enough to catch Amenadiel's nod of agreement. He had little hope that he would see her again. After all, souls like hers didn't end up in his realm.
"She will want an explanation."
"Miraculous and strange things happen every day in this world," his brother explained, sounding patronizing as usual. "Not all of them require an explanation."
"This does."
Sensing he was just stubborn enough to sit there for all eternity and wait until his demands were met, Amenadiel heaved another impatient sigh and closed his eyes. With his hand extended over Chloe's form, Lucifer watched with stunned amazement as the hole in her chest closed and the bleeding stopped. When he was finished, time snapped back into motion with the force of a tightly stretched rubber band.
Chloe's eyes opened and she inhaled a loud gasp. Her body shot upright and directly into Lucifer's waiting arms. He comforted her and held her tight as she caught her breath and tried desperately to make sense of what had just happened.
"I thought I was…" Her hand felt feebly for the wound in her chest but found nothing there.
"You were," he explained patiently.
"But how…?"
"You remember my brother, Amenadiel?"
She glanced over his shoulder at the dark angel standing in wait and nodded. "But what does he-?"
"He rewarded your selfless (and might I add insane) stunt by restoring your life. Though might I recommend you not jump in front of any more loaded guns in the near future," he teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
Malcolm's assassination attempt seemed to come back to her all at once and she pulled back, searching him for any injuries. Seeing none, she exhaled a weighted sigh of relief and smiled up at him.
"You're not hurt!"
"All thanks to you," he reminded her even as his eyes panned across her features and committed them to memory. "But I'm afraid I must leave you now."
"Are you going after Malcolm? Lucifer, don't. Let the law handle him. He won't get away with shooting a cop."
He smiled and rose to his feet, giving Amenadiel a nod as he did so.
"No time to hunt down any dirty cops today I'm afraid."
"Wait!" Chloe pushed herself to her feet and followed, taking him by the hand. "Where are you going?"
"Holding up my end of the bargain. It's been a pleasure working with you, detective. My time here wouldn't have been nearly as enlightening without you."
"Lucifer, wait! I don't understand - you're leaving?"
"Don't have much choice in the matter," he explained with a pointed look at his brother. "I gave my word and I never break a promise."
"When are you coming back?"
"Oh, in a millennia or so," he replied airily, trying his best to keep his tone light-hearted. It didn't have the desired effect. Chloe's features darkened and she gripped his hand tighter.
"Lucifer, please don't joke. I'm your friend. I care about you and I know when something is going on. Talk to me!"
"Lucifer." The note of warning in Amenadiel's tone aggravated one of his last nerves.
"Give us a minute would you please?" he snapped back.
Amenadiel walked a few paces away and politely turned his back. Chloe's eyes were wide and filled with questions. He lightly took up both of her hands between his and after a moment's hesitation placed a kiss to her knuckles.
"I've never been very good at good-byes, but this one's inevitable I'm afraid. I have to go back where I came from."
"How will I reach you?"
He winced at the question and rubbed his thumbs across the backs of her knuckles in a comforting gesture.
"That won't be possible. The cell reception in hell is appalling."
"Please don't joke," she said seriously.
"I wish I were. I won't regret a single day I spent her with you, detective, though it might have been nice if we'd shagged once or twice along the way."
She narrowed her eyes at him even as a smile fought to spread across her lips. "Keep dreaming."
"Yes, I suppose I shall have to now."
"Lucifer, it's time." Amenadiel's unwelcome reminder cut in and he gave a pained smile, knowing he wouldn't be able to delay the inevitable any longer. He gazed down into her eyes that were still wide and questioning but now held a hint of suspicion.
"Do you remember when I promised I would never lie to you?"
She nodded.
"I need you to remember that promise as I tell you this. In about 90 seconds a door to hell is going to open behind me and I will walk through it."
"Lucifer, that's insane."
"Do you trust me, Chloe?"
She nodded without hesitation, her hands tightening around his.
"Then I need you to understand that no matter what you see in that portal you will be safe here. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Okay." She looked up at him and swallowed hard, braving a timid smile. "I trust you."
He slowly, gently, and with every measure of reluctance released her hands and turned his back on her. Locking eyes with Amenadiel, he signalled that he was ready to return to the one place he had no wish to go and his brother closed his eyes to focus his power.
Just as he'd said it would, a portal to hell opened in front of him and from it emerged the tortured screams of all those who resided within. He wanted to look back for one last glimpse of her but knew if he did he would never find the strength again to walk through those doors. He moved towards them, defeated by the inevitability of his choice and was stopped only by the sudden fierce grip of her arms around his chest. He turned, his eyes wide with shock at the sight of her clinging to him with all her might, trying to pull him away from the mouth of hell.
"You can't go in there! I won't let you!" she screamed at him over the pitiful wails and moans of the damned that pierced the air around them.
"I have to! I made a deal!" he reminded her and unhooked her arms from around his waist. Holding her face between his hands he forced her to tear her gaze away from the gruesome sights beyond the door and to look only at him.
"You don't belong there!" she shouted at him, shaking her head. "I don't care what you've done!"
Two tears streamed over the backs of his hands, tears she was shedding for him, and in that moment he couldn't stop himself from kissing her. In all his fantasies he'd imagined a kiss of passion and fire, as bold and intoxicating as she was. This was different but no less memorable. His lips moved over hers softly, slowly. He took his time memorizing what it felt like to kiss her, the warmth of her lips against his, the gentle tug of her hands around the collar of his shirt, and the lingering taste of her on his mouth.
When she pulled away he gently tucked a bit of hair around her ear and smiled down at her. She returned the gesture and slowly loosened her grip on his collar.
"Please stay," she pleaded with him, her voice tight and weak.
"Everything will be okay, I promise. I'll make sure Amenadiel will look out for you and Trixie."
Tears ran down her cheeks even as she nodded her understanding. When he was ready he pressed a light kiss to her brow and then stepped away. He moved backwards this time, keeping his eyes on her, and turned only at the last minute to step through the door to hell.
With his departure the howls and screams of the damned instantly quieted. In the next breath the door to hell vanished as if it'd never been there at all and Amenadiel along with it. In the deafening silence that followed she dropped to her knees and stared down at her shaking hands.
For Chloe Decker it didn't matter that he was some kind of devil, or that she'd just watched him literally walk through the doors of hell. Or that his brother was clearly some sort of angel or demon. What mattered was that her friend was gone, perhaps forever, and for the moment there wasn't any thought more earth shattering than that.