Apparently a butcher shop owner found a dead human body in the freezer when he opened up today, no one knew how it got there but given the victim was tied up, it looked like it was probably murder. Since Detective Decker was away, that meant Lucifer and Daniel was now working together, much to both men's discomfort. Both of them focused on what the young forensic scientist, Ella was telling them as she studied the body. "I don't see any obvious signs of death besides hypothermia. " She said as she checked the victim's body for gunshots, stab wounds or strangulation, none of which she could see. But all the signs of hypothermia instead. "From the looks of his wrists, it looks like the ropes were put on before he entered the freezer and was awake the majority of the time. "
It wasn't a pleasant death, that's for sure. There were worse ways to go of course, but still made Daniel find it a bit unnerving. "Any fingerprints in the area that could lead us to the killer? " He asked Ella, his answer being quite quick. "Not that I found, no. We have the victim's wallet though, still has money in it so it wasn't a robbery. " Lucifer gave a light scoff to that. "Well clearly, if it was a robbery a quick pop to the head would suffice. " The devil made a finger gun gesture afterwards towards the victim. The two looked at Lucifer with slight concern, before shaking their heads and focusing back on the task at hand. "Alright, let's head back and check this guy's background, see why someone would want him dead. " Dan announced and turned to walk back to the car.
As everyone turned to gather their gear and head to their respectful car, Dan's phone rang again. making him scramble a little to find it in his pocket and see who it was. Oddly enough he saw it was the police department. Lucifer stopped and curiously watched as Dan answered it, saying a few brief words before ending with a 'we'll be right there.' After that everyone moved a little quicker, apparently they had yet another body found this soon. But at another butcher shop, in another freezer.
Sure enough when they all got there, it was pretty much the same, but the victim was a woman this time. Daniel knew they had to find out what the two had in common, as they usually start with first to try and find the motive for the killer. Though the male detective started to wonder how Chloe could handle Lucifer, he was kind of helpful but sometimes complained too much of certain parts of the job being boring and slow. Dan did his best to ignore the Devil to focus on the job, knowing if he let Lucifer get to him he'd not likely find the killer.
In the end though, they found out the woman and the man were engaged, which of course got Lucifer interested again, somehow. "Ohh~ Jealous boyfriend perhaps? Angry mother in-law who decided one was not good enough for her precious offspring? " He asked, seeming a bit too excited to know the killer's motives. Lucifer's words were not too off the chart of possibility though, but one thing that had Daniel and Ella concerned is, the couple had a child. Lucifer was oblivious to the problem at first, until Dan began to explain. "If the killer had personal motive, their child could be in just as much danger, but she just might still be alive. Time of death of the first victim was two days ago, second victim was last night, by this timeframe we got until the end of the day to find her. "
Lucifer hummed... he was not a fan of children, but he supposed they didn't deserve to die at the hands of some jealous, angry killer. "Very well, how do you plan on finding the now orphan child? " The Devil asked, not sounding quite as interested as before but not entirely out of it yet. Ella piped up then, tapping something on her tablet to bring a map up on the big screen. "Given where the first two was, I'd say it's a safe bet that the killer will pick this one, it's the closest to the last two and sorta makes a triangle, if that matters. I know if I was a killer I'd want my spots to be uniform and make sense, instead of being all spread out and... " Ella kept rambling about the subject but Dan had thanked her already and nodded for Lucifer to follow, both men leaving the girl to continue rambling alone about what she'd do. it was kinda mean but time was wasting away and they couldn't just stand by.
Daniel drove the police car, as he did not really trust Lucifer to drive like a normal human being. It was probably a safe choice that he wouldn't, especially if it was just Dan in the car with him. Though Lucifer probably would have gotten there sooner, the extra five minutes or so wouldn't have made that much of a difference. Dan pulled up to the butcher shop and turned off the car engine, both males opening their respected doors and getting out. "Now just follow my lead and keep your eyes peeled. " Daniel told Lucifer, checking for his badge as he expected to have to show it here. Lucifer wasn't all too pleased to the 'order' but sighed in defeat. "Fine, if you say so Daniel. " Of course, at the back of his mind, he'll step out of his lead if thing went south, like they did the last time the detective told the Devil to follow his lead.
He missed doing this with Chloe, but it'd amuse him if the human with him today ended up needing his help again to get out of a bind, either literally or otherwise. The Devil followed Dan inside the butcher shop, which was strangely empty, it was in the middle of the day the shop should be running. This set off red flags already to the two, no lights were on so they had to watch their step, keeping as quiet as they could in hopes of catching the killer off guard. Lucifer was surprisingly well behaved, as much as he was tempted to announce their presence, the fact there could be a innocent in danger kept him from doing so, even if it was just a child.
The fact the whole place was pretty much deserted was really weird, did the killer force everyone to leave or were they paid or even involved? Dan's first goal was to find the kid though, assuming she was here. They'd both be surprised at this point if she was not, it seemed very likely. The two passed by some processing areas and found themselves in the freezer area, the door was cracked open. There wasn't any sounds, but the fact the freezer was open was weird enough to investigate. Dan went first, walking around the door to look inside, at first just seeing a bunch of hanging meat of cows and pigs, not a beautiful sight but nothing unusual considering where they were. But then there was a soft, weak cry coming from inside and a frost covered lump moved a little. That must be the child they thought, so Dan went inside the freezer to check on her and get her out.
Lucifer followed behind, but making sure not to let any of the meat touch his fine suit. "Are you alright? " Dan asked the girl as he crouched down and began to untie her rope bonds. Her skin was pale and she was shivering, so she hadn't been here too long. If she was, she'd be blue and too weak to even shiver. The child gave a weak nod and rubbed her wrists from the ropes, looking up at the two strange men. "A-are you going to hurt me? " She asked nervously, not knowing who they were and Lucifer was not the most gentle of sights, standing at his full height and wearing dark clothing. Dan glanced at the Devil for a moment who looked bored if nothing else, before looking back to the cold, brown haired child. "No we're not, we're with the police and we came to help you. " He explained in a gentle voice, being a father helped give some experience with talking nicely to children.
Big blue eyes looked back and forth between the two, unsure if she should trust but nodded anyway. "Okay... t-thank you misters." Dan gave a friendly smile, tossing the ropes aside and helping the girl to her feet. She was young, only about 6, it broke Dan's heart to realize the child may not even know she's a orphan now... And what were they going to do about that? None of them were able to take in a orphan girl, so he supposed she'd have to go into the dreaded system and hope for the best. "You're welcome... now c'mon let's get you out of here. " The detective said, the three turning to walk out of here and get back to the car. But before they could, the door to the freezer slammed shut with a loud metal sound.
Lucifer glared at the door, while the girl clung to Daniel from such a loud, sudden slam. "Bloody hell... " The Devil muttered, walking up to it and trying to push it open with a more natural, human strength level. While, in theory, he could likely break the door apart if he so pleased, he was not thrilled about doing something like that around Dan and this child, especially if he didn't have to. But it seemed the door was locked, no human was going to be able to open it without coming from the outside, or some sort of tool. "I'll call backup, hopefully they're not far. " The detective stated, pulling a radio to his cheek and calling the incident in, receiving a response that they will be there in one hour.
Daniel sighed, he was not a fan of the cold, hence why he was living in Los Angeles, it never got cold here really, not this cold anyway. With the door now closed, things started to cool down faster than they did before, who knows how long the girl has been in here by herself though. "An hour... coldest hour of my life... " Dan said to himself, sitting down off to the side to hug his knees close, trying to hold in his warmth. The little girl sat down next to him, leaning against the detective and mimicking his pose. Lucifer however, was standing and pacing. "Lucifer, you should come here, if we're close we can share bodyheat. " Dan told him, resorting to what little he knew about survival in cold environments.
Lucifer however looked at him like he had two heads or something. "I will not huddle with you like a group of penguins, thank you very much. " He replied, adjusting his suit with a sigh. "it's to keep us from freezing to death Lucifer. " The detective replied back, keeping his temper down for the kid, but not all too pleased with Lucifer's answer. "Correction, it's to keep you from freezing to death, I however will be perfectly fine. " The Devil wasn't convinced it'd really be that dire anyway, it's only a hour right? Dan sighed and shook his head, deciding to just ignore the taller male since his antics was irritating. Instead he looked to the little girl by his side, figuring some talk will keep her mind off their troubles. "What's your name? I'm Daniel. "
The little one didn't like hearing Dan mention freezing to death, but she didn't voice her concerns and just hoped the two males wouldn't fight. When asked about her name though she perked up. "O-oh... um, Nancy... Nice to meet you Mister Daniel... " Her eyes focused on Lucifer now, wondering if his name really was... Lucifer. "What about h-him? " She asked, her voice even softer than before. Dan sighed and glanced at the bored looking Devil, a little envious that somehow the cold really didn't seem to be bugging him. " He says his name is Lucifer Morningstar, far as I can tell it could be true. " He muttered in reply to Nancy, who hummed softly back, but having no real words. It was a strange name but her mind was too muddled to have the luxury of being curious.
About ten minutes past, Dan making idle chatter with the girl, but both of them were getting colder and colder, their replies had occasional chatter of teeth in them and even Lucifer could not miss it. The cold was not bothering him, he was just annoyed by the frost building up on his suit, then melting, that bothered him on a emotional level, but physically he was fine. He stopped pacing a while ago and was just watching the door, leaning against one of the walls for a good 5 minutes more. But his train of thought was broken when Daniel spoke up, his voice weaker than it should be. "Lucifer... will you at least take Nancy? I... I don't know how this cold isn't bothering you but... Please, she might get hypothermia otherwise. " There was a lowkey plead in his tone, clearly concerned about the child, even if he wasn't all that much better off, shivering and having to hug himself like a little boy.
Lucifer's initial thought was to say no again, that he wasn't really into... cuddling, even if it was a little chilly, but then the tone of voice sank in and looking at the two, it was clear it was more than just a bit chilly. The child's skin was turning a tinge of blue and her shivering was weaker than before, Daniel didn't look all that much better really. He didn't like the idea, letting a tiny child so close to him, but... he wasn't so heartless that he'd rather have her get hypothermia. "Bloody Hell... fine. " He didn't sound pleased but Dan was just glad he agreed. Lucifer walked over to the two cold humans, sitting down a few feet away from them and gesturing for the child to come over. Nancy was hesitant, a little wary of the Devil, but Dan nodded to her to go ahead, hoping that since Lucifer seemed to be shrugging off the cold, that he'd be a lot warmer.
The weak little one carefully moved towards Lucifer, her small limbs not being very cooperative on moving but thankfully she didn't have to go far. He stiffened once she made contact to his side, huddling there and leaning against him. It felt like someone pressed a bucket of ice cream to his side, or even just a ice cube. But the little one made a happy, quiet hum, it was like huddling against a warm heater or something, her mind was too out of it to give it much thought but he was a bit abnormally warm. It was alright though because they needed it, badly. Lucifer mostly just sat there, a bit uncomfortable from having a small human basically snuggling him but surprisingly enough he put up with it. Dan was glad for that and smiled with amusement, watching the Devil's discomfort.
The three stayed that way for another good ten minutes, the other two were too tired and cold to give the Devil much conversation, which was kind of boring, but they still had a good thirty five minutes to wait ahead of them. Lucifer rested his arms on bent knees, head rested back against the freezer wall, wishing for something to pass the time. It was quiet and the Devil found himself almost falling asleep at times, but something broke the silence when he felt the child shift beside him, then speak. "M-mister Daniel? " The soft voice asked in worry, Lucifer glancing over at the detective to see he looked like he did pass out. At first he thought nothing of it, then he recalled that he didn't have a heat source... passing out might be bad. "Just lovely... Daniel? " Lucifer called his name in a sharper tone to try and get a response, but the two received nothing from the adult. Nancy gave a soft, worried whine, looking up at Lucifer. "Is t-there something you c-can do for him? "
Lucifer listened to the question and weighed his options, it not being a very long list. He could sit by him with Nancy and try to keep them both warm, or... He had a better, more comfortable idea for all of them. "Yes there is, stay here. " Lucifer told her, shifting to stand up after Nancy made sure she wasn't leaning on him. He walked over to Dan and crouched down, giving him a soft shake of the shoulder to make sure he really was unconscious. When he got no response, the Devil was sure he was out. Which made this next part a lot easier, all things considered. He kept his hand on his shoulder, just in time for Daniel's body to start... shrinking in size? Nancy was watching the two and she was sure Dan was actually getting smaller, this was proven to be correct when Dan became easily half of his previous size in about a minute.
Nancy was quite surprised, little hands over her mouth as she tried not to freak out. Lucifer only stopped when the detective was about a third of his original size, around 2 feet in height, making him fairly small and perfect for part two of his plan. He showed no signs of waking up, so Lucifer gently picked him up, one hand holding his chest and the other his feet. What was the Devil going to do the child wondered? She got her answer soon enough when Lucifer opened his mouth, sliding the now little Daniel's head inside. Nancy gasped at this, she didn't understand, why was he eating the human? How was that helping? Lucifer took a firm gulp then, pulling more of Dan inside. He straightened his back and tipped his head a little, before taking another heavy swallow, halfway finishing his meal already with just two swallows. He didn't really consider that Nancy was watching and understandably freaked out, but they were trapped in here, there wasn't really anywhere she could go but in his belly after Daniel.
The detective remained unconscious, making this nice and easy for Lucifer as he swallowed again, pulling the smaller man even further inside. Only his knees remained outside of his mouth, which were supported by one hand, his other hand resting softly on his middle. He didn't pay all that much attention to his flavor, but he couldn't help but notice the man did almost taste like chocolate pudding, his favorite office snack. Lucifer gave a deep hum before taking the final gulp, little legs slipping inside of his mouth and sliding down his throat, the detective pretty much vanishing inside of the Devil. All that showed now as any indication of where Daniel went to was the small bulge in the Devil's middle, barely enough to strain a button. Lucifer licked his lips and gave a gentle pat to his belly, deciding he had plenty of room for Nancy inside too.
When he turned to look where he left the child though, she was no longer there. "Nancy? " He asked, sounding confused, until it dawned on him that the little one probably got scared of him for eating the detective. He sighed, a tad bit annoyed but he knew there wasn't really a place for her to go. He stood up then and straightened his suit, turning towards the rack of frozen meat in a assumption that she was hiding among them. He didn't want any of it touching him though so he carefully walked by them, looking and scanning for any signs of movement, or something that just didn't normally belong among a bunch of dead cows and pigs. Dark brown eyes scanned around sharply, in a sense looking for his prey, but not because he wanted to harm her, quite the reverse even. He turned a corner around one hanging rack, just in time to see Nancy run behind another. With a devious grin he stalked towards her hiding spot, aiming to just scoop her up.
However, once he came into her view, she yelped and fell backwards, tripping over her own two feet. "S-stay back! " She exclaimed after she recovered a bit from the fall, holding a stop-like hand out towards him. She didn't get up though and just started scooting back away from him. Lucifer took a step towards her though, clearly not listening, but his expression softened a little. He didn't want to scare her after all, but he couldn't stay away either, she had to at the very least be by his side, but it would be better for her to be within the warmth and safety of his belly. "I'm not going to hurt you little human. " He tried to assure her, but she shuffled further back, though towards a corner of the freezer. "B-but... aren't you going to eat m-me too? " She asked, a little confused as she shivered both from the cold and fear.
He couldn't deny it of course, he prided himself in never telling a direct lie. "I plan to, yes. " He answered, pausing when she whimpered from the answer. "But I'm not going to hurt you in doing so. It's to keep you both warm in this bloody freezer until Daniel's backup arrives. " He explained, confirming her fears but also trying to ease them. Nancy was still nervous though, all forms of logic told her being eaten was never safe, well that and it shouldn't be possible in the first place but she just saw him do it. But as she looked around their cold prison for the time being, she realized that there wasn't much she could do to prevent it. Even now she felt weaker and colder during the time she been away from him. "Y-you promise? You p-promise it will be s-safe and it won't h-hurt? " She figured he could just lie if he wanted to, but she still wanted to ask, hear him promise.
Lucifer sighed, trying his best to be patient with the little one, but from her question he figured he was gaining some trust, or maybe at least might get permission to proceed. "Yes child, I promise, just keep still. " He told her, figuring that if she did thrash around she might hurt herself and he rather not get blamed for that. Nancy took a moment or two to let his words sink in, looking downwards as she tried to come to terms with it. She still didn't really want to be eaten, but if it was safe and could protect her from the cold, it was better than staying out here and freezing. "O-okay... I believe you. " She said, giving a silent nod after before looking back up at him.
The Devil smiled at that, nothing malicious but pleased regardless. "Lovely, now let's get you inside. " He announced with a gentle pat to his belly, stepping forward as he figured he had the go ahead now. Nancy took a deep breath, doing her best to stay calm and not panic when he bent down and gently picked her up, a few moments later after he touched her, she felt... weird. She remembered now that he also somehow... shrunk Daniel before devouring him and that would explain what she was feeling now. She could feel his hands seeming larger when holding her, watching him adjust his hold to be similar of when he held the detective.
Nancy kept still as she shrunk down to about one third of her previous size, now only about a foot tall. The child looked around to marvel a bit at her new size, knowing she might not get another chance before she was eaten up, noticing the fact Lucifer was giving her a moment or two to recover from it. The cold was getting to her faster though at a smaller size, something he knew would happen, but there was no way he could fit them both in his stomach at full size, the child... maybe, but definitely not Dan. So after giving her some time, Lucifer lifted her up above his head, opening his mouth just enough to slide her little feet inside first. This was different than with Daniel, though she liked the idea of not going upside down inside, it was a little freaky to realize she'd be watching herself get swallowed.
When he took the first gulp, pulling her feet and ankles into his throat, the child made a soft, nervous squeak, but otherwise she kept still. If nothing else she didn't want to make him mad by fighting him, plus she likely not get far, especially with her new size. Lucifer was being surprisingly gentle though, one hand curled around her back in a firm but gentle hold while his other hand helped support her legs as they slid inside of his jaws, which were unnervingly vanishing quick with each swallow he took. Her little heart fluttered and she held her hands away from his lips a bit as he swallowed her up to her waist. She looked to see the Devil's eyes were closed, perhaps to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted. The child trusted him after all, if a little reluctantly and he'd feel a bit bad if he betrayed that trust by not doing it right.
Nancy took deep, though cold air breaths to try and ease her nerves, tempted to close her eyes or look away as her torso was swallowed up next. Once his chin touched his hand, Lucifer pulled away as enough of her was encased in his throat that she didn't need the support anymore and instead rested that hand on his middle. The child did have to admit one thing to herself, from her chest down wasn't cold anymore, his innards were actually quite soft and warm, though she could feel the saliva soaking into her clothes it didn't feel all that nasty, it also never hurt. Not once since he began did she feel pain or even much discomfort, it was kinda tight sure but if she kept still it wasn't so bad.
Soon he got to her shoulders, after swallowing down her chest, in which her arms were gently forced above her head by his mouth. It made it easier to get her down than it would be head first, as the shoulders were naturally the widest part in a human. Nancy glanced up again to see the ceiling of the freezer, not an overly pleasant sight but it'd be the last she saw of the outside world before she vanished inside of him. Soon the little one's head was gently swallowed down, only her arms and hands remained outside and with a few soft swallows, those too slipped inside, allowing him to close his mouth at last. It felt uncomfortably tight in his chest as he felt her slide down towards his belly, of course being the Devil she couldn't hurt him per say but it was a feeling he still had a hard time getting used to.
It was dark in his throat, she couldn't tell whether her eyes were opened or closed once his mouth was shut. But... as she felt herself slide down in a more open chamber, his stomach, there was a dim light, she could see pink, soft flesh around her. Of course the child liked pink, it was a happy color in her eyes and while she expected it to be scary and dark in his belly, she was pleasantly surprised that she could see pretty well. It was still not very big as she found herself curling up next to the detective inside, who was still unconscious. But she saw him breathing so she figured he was okay. Given their situation, she decided against waking him up. The little human was still a tad nervous about being in Lucifer's belly, but it was hard not to relax a little, she felt warmer and more comfortable than she had in quite a while, the warmth doing wonders in seeping into her and chasing the cold away from the freezer.
There wasn't much she could do inside of him, but that wasn't so bad, the last day has been a bit too exciting for her liking and while she was still too nervous to fall asleep in here, she did want to relax. Her thoughts went to her parents now, she seemed safe enough for the time being in the Devil's belly, so she wondered about her parents, having no idea they sadly were already dead. She looked forward to getting out of the freezer and seeing them again, wanting her life to go back to normal. Little did she know, that wasn't going to happen. "Mister Lucifer? " The child called his name, her voice a little shy sounding, but she wanted to ask him something, well, a few somethings but she wasn't sure how understanding he'll be about too many questions.
Lucifer meanwhile leaned up against a wall again, feeling like he ate a entire family's worth of turkey dinners, but at least the little humans were not gonna die on him and unlike a turkey dinner, his lean figure won't be messed up from this once he released them. He was glad the child wasn't squirming or anything, she just curled up inside. He didn't really want Daniel to wake up, unlike a innocent child, he was harder to reason with. Lucifer gave a few gentle rubs to his middle, eyes glancing to the door as he hoped backup would arrive sometime soon. The cold didn't bother him and he wasn't going to be hungry but it was still boring in here and they had a killer to catch which is who knows where by now. One good thing though, Lucifer had the killer's only other target, nestled safely in his gut.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the little one's voice speak to him. "Yes? What is it small human? " He asked, hoping this wasn't the start of 100 questions because if it was he'd want to get out of this freezer even more. He waited with a raised eyebrow to hear what she wanted to say, drumming his fingers on his stomach in a light rhythm. There was a pause, like she was a little unsure of replying, but he tried to be patient and wait until she got the bravery to answer. "W-well... is your name r-really Lucifer? " Her voice stuttered a bit, likely not from the cold but more so she was nervous or afraid still. He knew where this line of questioning was headed, she wanted to know if he was really the Devil. "Yes child. " He gave a simple reply, not all too thrilled about the subject.
Nancy felt the gentle rubs from the outside, it was a soft reminder that he at least didn't forget about them in here. She heard his slightly unhappy tone and she didn't want to upset him, but she had to know, it would make perfect sense if he was the Devil, all besides the fact he was helping them, that part didn't make sense. "I'm s-sorry but... does that m-mean you're really the Devil? " She asked, curling up in a smaller ball as she hoped it wasn't too much to ask. She wasn't even really sure where to talk to him to, but so far she'd been looking upwards, since that's where his ears were.
There was a heavy sigh around her, vibrating the walls a bit. "Yes, small human, I am indeed the Devil, in the flesh~ " He answered, his deep, accented voice rumbling around her. His tone took on a slightly playful ring to it, not threatening but perhaps a bit too prideful. No surprise, from what she remembered her parents teaching her, Lucifer's biggest flaw was pride. It was not very comforting to know she was at Satan's mercy, actually within his stomach. But he hadn't so much as harmed a single hair on her, just got her rather slimy, but warm and safe from the cold as he promised. Which begged the next question, why was he being nice? Why did he bother taking time out of his day to help and protect two humans? "I thought y-you were supposed to be m-mean. " She said, confused, but not wanting to seem like she wanted him to be, she quickly corrected herself. "N-not that I want you t-to be! P-please don't be mean... "
Lucifer smiled a bit then, he wasn't all too happy about the questions but her attempts to be politely curious was amusing. "Typically I prefer to live up to people's expectations, or even exsteed them, but I suppose this one time I can let it slide~ " He figured he could tease her a little, but be mindful about it. Last thing he wanted to do was make her cry or something, what was one supposed to do with a tiny crying child anyway? His words were returned with a soft giggle from Nancy though, which seemed to be a good sign. "Thank you Mister Lucifer... for being nice and keeping us safe. " He heard her say, her voice softer than before, but sweet and genuine, lacking a stutter this time.
He felt a bit at a loss for words, usually people didn't thank him like that or call him nice, sure Chloe has been trying to say such things to him but it was always hard to take in. He wasn't really sure how to feel, though his chest felt... odd, tight but warm. He wanted to deny being nice, tell her he was doing it for more selfish reasons, but was that true? He prided himself in not telling a lie and if it was, he rightly couldn't say it. "Yes... well, can't have you two dying on me while we wait, it'd be awfully boring. " He decided to say in a more casual tone, trying to brush off these... soft, fluffy feelings. That wasn't a lie either as it really would be boring in here alone and with a empty belly. He did also save them though because he didn't want them to die, they didn't deserve it and saving them didn't take much effort, especially Dan as he was unconscious the whole time.
The child inside smiled softly, using one of her little hands to reach out and gently touch the soft, fleshy stomach walls around her. It was still a weird feeling, knowing she had been eaten whole and alive, tucked away in more or less, a stranger's tummy. She knew his name, knew who and what he was, but clearly what she heard was not all entirely true. The Devil she heard about wouldn't help anyone so in that sense, he was a stranger. The stomach walls were slick and wet, but also soft, she could feel the muscles behind them but it was lax at the moment. Nancy was a little worried about Daniel waking up... She got to be awake when she got eaten and was able to give the go ahead, even if he probably would have done so anyway but regardless, the detective didn't even know it happened. The light was pretty but it showed easily that they were inside something else and given there was only one other living being in the freezer...
The girl hoped that her and Lucifer together could calm him down should the time come. She was still a tiny bit nervous, mostly it was natural fear of putting your life in someone's hands that you didn't really know, but she felt it would be best if Dan wasn't freaking out. The two humans were occupying a pretty small space after all, she rather not have him thrashing around and hitting her by accident. It felt like having a ticking time bomb next to her, but she tried to relax in the nice Devil's belly, feeling his hand resting on the other side. The longer she stayed inside the more she didn't mind it, it was warm, soft and cozy, it was nice to feel safe and protected after what happened.
Lucifer stood mostly in silence, having nothing to really do but wait. The silence was a bit boring and he was tempted to strike up some form of conversation with the child inside, anything really to break the silence. However, before he could bring himself to do so, they all heard a weird sound... It was Daniel's radio calling in. "The backup has been delayed by one hour, we had incorrect directions but we're coming asap, hang in there, over." Lucifer sighed to that, one more hour? What kind of rookie team were they sending out? This never happened when it was him and Chloe... His thoughts were cut short though when Dan stirred, his belly already giving a displeased gurgle. He likely woke up to the radio talking as it was pretty loud. Still, both Devil and child knew what that meant.
Dan fumbled as his eyes opened, still groggy and blurry with sleep as he struggled to get the radio mike to reply. He squeezed the side button even as his eyes closed again, his body still wanting to rest, especially given the warm, soft environment he was in. "Understood, over. " He replied before the words really registered, too worried about making sure it didn't seem like he just passed out than actually realizing it was going to be a hour longer. However,it took a good minute for the gears to turn and he opened his eyes again. "A hour? " He said out loud in surprise after having dropped the mike again, but that's when he got a decent look at where he was.
He saw light first, white but dim, not blinding but just enough to allow him to see everything... and everything was what he saw. Pink fleshy walls that flexed and shifted with life all on their own, likely because of the owner's breathing. They were covered in slime and so was he, gooey and slick, but not too sticky, it was just everywhere so there was nothing he could wipe his hands off onto. Dan's heart started to race though, what was going on? He looked around more only to see Nancy was in here with him, curled up beside him with a shy smile. She didn't seem scared, for whatever reason, but she too was covered in slime. "What's going on? Where am I? Where are we? " The detective asked, pushing a bit at the fleshy walls around him, perhaps a little too hard if Lucifer was not immortal right now.
Nancy spoke up as fast as she could, with what little she knew of Lucifer, he didn't seem like one to give news softly or sugar coated. "Um mister Lucifer may have... uhh... you were asleep earlier and... I was worried and... asked if there was something he could do and... " Lucifer soon cut her off, his voice rumbling around the two humans to cut to the chase. "You are in my stomach, Daniel, for you decided taking a nap while freezing to death was a good idea. " His voice was condescending and slightly irritated already. Nancy cringed though, she was trying to avoid breaking the news to Dan in such a sudden way, ease into it, maybe explain why Lucifer did it before telling him. But it was far too late now.
The human male froze a bit to that, looking just a tad horrified. "Y-your... stomach? What the Hell man?! This isn't funny, where are we really? " He didn't want to believe it, it was impossible, right? People couldn't eat other people whole, that was crazy. In most cases, the detective would be correct, but Lucifer was not your average people person. Dan pushed harder on the stomach walls, expecting them to collapse and the prank be revealed to be fake. But all that happened was the Devil's innards gave another gurgle, not all too happy about the 'food' shoving and pushing around. "Mister Daniel please be careful, don't hurt him! " Nancy spoke up, making sure to duck out of Dan's way, but she was worried about him hurting Lucifer and thus, making him upset.
Lucifer rolled his eyes at them both, Dan was mostly just being annoying in there. "Don't worry small creature, he can't hurt me, but he does seem to be in denial still. " He replied to the child's words first, as if Dan couldn't hear him, though he very well could. "You can't expect me to believe that you... you somehow ate us! " He heard the detective say, though he did stop his annoying shoving and just curled up. "I seem to have trouble making people believe me as of late, though I can't imagine how else you explain where you are. " It really seemed to be impossible in Lucifer's mind, they were in a freezer, where else could it possibly be warm and enclosed?
"I don't know... Maybe you... Look man, I don't know, but I know what's possible and this isn't. " The detective was clearly struggling mentally to process this, not wanting to believe it. Human nature told him this wasn't normal, or possible, but he was running out of explanations as logic shattered them one by one, almost as soon as he thought of a explanation. He refused to believe Lucifer was the Devil though, if he did he might snap. Lucifer realized that he very well could end up with a Linda problem with Daniel though and he didn't want that. "What's important is you're not freezing to death, isn't that enough? " The Devil reminded him, deciding not to pressure the fact he ate him and just try to make this hour bearable.
The detective took a deep breath, letting Lucifer's odd sounding words sink in, while Nancy watched him with concern. Being a child she took it much more easily, but for a adult it was a lot more to deal with. But... Lucifer had a point, he was warm, while forced into a fetal position like a kid, it wasn't all that uncomfortable, despite the slime. The Devil's belly cradled them both inside comfortably, the soft walls and muscles forming around them, instead of trying to squish them. Whatever this was... it likely saved his life. He remembered a few moments before he blacked out, he was cold, freezing, he couldn't feel his hands or his feet, his body was too weak to shiver, then he was too weak to even stay awake. If something wasn't done it was likely that he could have died or at least got really bad frostbite first.
"Yeah... Yeah I guess it is enough. " Daniel answered finally, if a bit reluctantly. He supposed that once backup did decide to get here, he'd find out then once in for all what trick the Devil had up his sleeve to pull this off. He did feel extremely warm, Lucifer's higher body temperature doing wonders in melting the cold, inside and out, of the two humans. Nancy was so much at ease, it had the detective wondering what she thought all this was and with nothing better to do, he decided to ask. "What do you make of Lucifer's claims kiddo? " He asked in a hushed voice, attempting to not alert the Devil of his question.
The little girl blinked, she realized Daniel didn't believe him, but she experienced it first hand, so she knew Lucifer was not lying. But how to tell the adult that... He likely wouldn't believe her either and she knew that. "I saw him do it. " Was all she found herself saying, keeping it simple, but kinda avoiding the question in the end. But Daniel was a detective and he could tell the child didn't want to say. "And? " he couldn't help but pushing, even though he just told Lucifer it was enough, he mostly said that because he knew he wouldn't be getting anywhere with the Devil. "You wouldn't believe me. " Nancy replied anyway, turning away from Dan a bit to hide her somewhat sad face against the soft, fleshy stomach wall on the other side of her.
She knew what she saw and experienced, there was zero denying it on her part, but it was a pretty known thing that adults took what children say with a grain of salt. She assumed they both would be regurgitated though once backup arrived, Daniel will believe her and Lucifer then, right? The detective sighed though, half wondering if Lucifer managed to trick her too with his antics of being the Devil, or perhaps there was a hint of truth in it... He shook his head again, putting one hand to his temple, thinking about all this was giving him a headache and he already felt awful. "You know once Chloe finds out we got in trouble, she's going to freak out, right? " Dan decided to bring up something else instead, to actually change the subject.
Lucifer however overheard the child say something about not being believed, the Devil could roughly fill in the blanks, but decided not to butt in, if he did it'd just make things worse and for once Lucifer thought before speaking. No he wanted a subject change, before Dan overloaded and broke, he didn't need a broken detective on his hands to deal with. Speaking of detectives, Daniel decided to bring up his favorite. "Likely so, but she really has nothing to worry about, thanks to me~ " He said with that arrogant sense of pride again in his voice. The male detective chose to ignore it though, it was better for everyone's health. "I'm glad she wasn't here at least... But we still need to find the suspect. " Daniel almost said 'killer' but caught himself just in time, knowing that if he did Nancy would have questions, questions neither male wanted to answer.
"I'm well aware Daniel, trust me he won't get far once we get out of here. " Lucifer responded, his voice taking a slightly darker tone, tapping his fingers against the freezer wall in slight boredom. He wanted to find the killer that orphaned the child, serve up some punishment in so many words, though he knew Daniel would be a problem so he couldn't get too carried away. But first thing's first, the three had to survive another hour together. Nancy wasn't really a bother, even Lucifer could handle her now that she was nestled in his stomach, if only he could deal with all children this way... But Dan was a pain as usual.
Still as time passed, the three remained more or less quiet, not having a whole lot to discuss as their topics were limited. It was all a waiting game really, Lucifer's patience being tested the most, though Nancy was not too far behind as she wanted to see her parents again, unknowing that really, once backup arrived, everyone had to face the fact she was now a orphan, someone would have to break that news to her. Dan might be the best choice for that, Lucifer was too blunt and severely lacking in the sugar coating department, no one else probably really wanted to deal with it and Chloe was still sick. But no one wanted her to know now, not while they were stuck here like this.
A good amount of the hour passed, at least half of it before Nancy started gently petting and touching the soft but muscular stomach walls in front of her, feeling the slime stick to her and get in between her fingers. It was kinda yucky but impossible to avoid, it helped to know that the slime was clean, for the most part. The texture was still really weird, even Daniel was a little wary about her touching it though and soon spoke up his worries. "Don't touch that... we don't know what this stuff is, it could be dangerous. " He didn't want the kid getting sick touching... whatever this was, of course she knew exactly what it was and wasn't worried in the least. "But I do know what it is, it's not dangerous, it's soft. "
Lucifer huffed above them though, was Daniel calling him toxic? "I'd have you know I'm very clean~ You should be worried about the child spreading her germs around inside of me. " He pointed out, though both were somewhat valid concerns it mattered little given Lucifer was immortal... most of the time and his insides were indeed not toxic or dangerous, unless he wanted them to be of course but that was a different story. Daniel cringed, right, back to the eating thing. "I just think we should be careful. " He ended up saying, pausing a moment to word the next part carefully. "If... IF what Lucifer says is true, then we don't want to... trigger anything. " Such as, the process of digestion, though that was purely under Lucifer's control.
"You do realize that's not how it works, correct? The process starts as soon as I even think about devouring a meal, if that was my intent. Saliva builds in my mouth before taking the first-" Lucifer began to explain the process in detail, but Daniel cut him off, not wanting to think about it. "Yes I'm well aware, I went to biology class! " He was just... worried, understandably, though if anything was going to happen it would have long before now, especially when he first woke up and started thrashing around. Smug and satisfied, as Lucifer knew he would say something like that, he stopped for the child's sake. "Very well, so just relax will you? " The Devil requested of him, giving a few soft pats to his belly.
Nancy giggled a bit at the men's antics, she wasn't worried at all by now, Lucifer was keeping them safe and she wasn't afraid of being hurt. The pats sounded like thumps, muffled thumps from her and Dan's viewpoint, she liked the sound and gesture, but Daniel leaned back away from it, swallowing a little nervously. He kept trying to deny in his mind that he was actually in the other man's stomach, but... little things kept happening that made it harder and harder not to believe. "Don't do that... " He muttered, hoping Lucifer wouldn't actually hear and do it again just to get a rise out of him.
Thankfully, he didn't hear him and just chuckled, feeling the little child leaning against his hand, while Daniel was pressing further back against his spine. "At least the small creature appreciates my thoughtfulness~ " Lucifer jested, but soon moved his hand to just rest on his side. He sort of looked forward to at least getting Daniel out of him, he preferred only having on human within him at a time, two was a bit much, even when shrunken down a bit. It just felt awkward to have two different living things moving around, especially in reverse directions. It didn't hurt per say, it was just a little annoying.
Daniel sighed, shifting a little carefully to get comfortable again, while Nancy seemed as happy as she could be. How could the child be so calm... the detective didn't understand. Lucifer was a stranger to her, yet she trusted him more than Dan did. Then again Dan and Lucifer were not on the best of terms. The Devil didn't have a watch, but he checked his phone to see what time it was, another 15 minutes until they got here... Lucifer figured he should cough them up before they get here, perhaps with just a few minutes to spare, or less. It would be bad to make the two humans wait around in the cold, wet and slimy, but it'd also be bad to just cough them up in front of the coming police force. He had to time this correctly to balance away both issues, but he wasn't really worried, it won't take him long to get them out.
Ten minutes later and at last, a voice came on over Daniel's radio again, covered in Devil drool but still in working order. "We're just outside the shop, get ready over. " The team called in, Daniel sighing in relief, finally this freakish nightmare might come to a end five minutes early. "Yay! " Nancy cheered happily, giving a few soft wiggles in her squishy confines. She didn't mind being in the Devil's tummy, but she was also ready to come out and meet the world again, as soft, warm and snuggly as the belly was. Daniel just wanted to get out of her as fast as he could and get his life back to normal, hopefully forget this even happened, that'd be really nice. "That's my queue, time to get you two out of there. " Lucifer informed, the best form of warning they were going to get.
Daniel wanted to reply to the radio first, but suddenly the muscles around them tightened up, the bottom of the stomach started to lurch and push them both upwards, followed with some slightly displeased gurgles and groans from the organ. Lucifer could only do one at a time, so he focused on getting Daniel out first, the child could wait, plus she was smaller and easier to hide if he had to, getting Dan back to normal was more important. The detective made a uncomfortable grunting sound, not liking how the already tight area became much tighter as he was softly squished up through a ring of muscle that was closing off Lucifer's stomach to his esophagus.
Lucifer had to take care not to squish either of them too much, especially the child, it helped his insides sort of acted as a cushion against the muscle's strength, preventing him from accidentally crushing the girl, who had to stay down in his stomach for now. Daniel however was a different subject, who tried to stay as still as he could for the process, but it all felt really weird. Lucifer's throat muscles gripped him firmly, while working in reverse of swallowing to bring him back up. The further away he got from the glowing stomach below, the darker it got, as the Devil's mouth was shut for now, even as the detective started to leave the throat and enter the mouth. This was the moment of truth Lucifer knew, once he opened his jaws, Daniel would have undeniable proof that he was indeed eaten and now being regurgitated safely.
Better get it over with and fix a possibly soon to be broken Dan. The first thing the detective saw was a frame of white teeth parting, revealing a familiar sight of the freezer they were still in. "What... ? " He started, feeling his heart skip a beat, his mind scrambling to deny and protect itself from this revealization. Lucifer focused on getting him out first, another squeeze from the throat and the detective started to finally leave the Devil's jaws. Once Dan's shoulders were out, Lucifer grabbed him and gently pulled him out of his throat and mouth. Once his feet left his insides, he wasted no time in starting to return the man to his original size, while he was still in shock about what just happened.
Dan was a bit mortified, having actually saw himself leave Lucifer's mouth and seeing how much smaller he was now than he was before, he was only like two feet tall, that was a bit unnerving by itself but the fact Lucifer had... eaten him on top of it all was even worse. The detective wasn't sure why he was still alive, he knew Lucifer was not fond of him and while they had the occasional agreement they still often didn't see eye to eye. It shouldn't even be possible to do what the Devil just did, but he saw it and felt it. Daniel kept still, mostly because his brain was still trying to process everything, but he started to feel weird and... tingly as Lucifer returned him to his normal height, at a steady rate.
He broke the 3 foot mark first and by then Lucifer put him down to restore the last 2 feet. In just about a minute it was over and Lucier pulled his hands off the man. He was not done yet after all, just done with Dan. The detective backed away anyway though, breathing heavily and checking himself over, making sure everything was in right order. "What... the hell just happened... ? " He asked, voice strained but careful. He was glad he was back to normal, he didn't like being that small, but the warm slime stuck to him was cooling down in the freezer, it was a good thing Lucifer waited this long. Backup should be getting to the door any minute now, but they did have to move carefully and were keeping a eye out for the killer too.
Nancy stayed quiet and still in the Devil's belly while he fixed Daniel. Without the detective the stomach was even more cozy, there was more room to move around and stretch, since the stomach walls were not stretched so far, there were a few folds in it now, it was too tempting to just snuggle up and relax. There was one big thing that kept that from being considered though and that was her parents, she knew they must be worried about her. It was muffled but she heard Daniel speak, sounding a bit freaked out, she supposed she couldn't blame him, she was scared too when the big 'bad' Devil came to eat her, but once he explained it wasn't so bad.
"Daniel, not now, we will have time later for you to have a mental breakdown, but we have more pressing matters first. " Lucifer told him sharply, not having the time to explain anything right now. He had to get the little girl out of his innards first and then everyone had to deal with what to do with her after that. He didn't wait for a reply from the detective and just repeated the process with Nancy that he did for Daniel, though it will be much easier this time. She was smaller and alone so he didn't have to worry about how tight his stomach got once she left it.
There was those uneasy gurgles from the stomach again as it closed up around Nancy, the bottom of it pushing her upwards and with all the slime everywhere and her smaller size, she slipped back upwards pretty easy. She kept still and relaxed, trusting Lucifer wouldn't hurt her and knew what he was doing. She also knew freaking out wasn't going to help anyone. It was all very soft and gentle though, she heard his heartbeat loud and clear when her ear passed by, merely inches away, maybe less, followed by large powerful lungs on each side of her. It was a bit surreal and she knew this was likely a once in a lifetime experience. Just like Dan, Nancy's head slid up into Lucifer's mouth first and he opened up again, but unlike Daniel, she came out much quicker, being so much smaller and more cooperative, she came out in no time and was placed lightly on her feet, dripping with warm clear fluid, perfectly harmless but a little annoying. She was really tiny right now, but that was quickly fixed with Lucifer's hand on his shoulder and a few moments.
She was smiling and happy once returned to her full size too, not afraid at all now of the Devil before her, in fact Lucifer was afraid a hug was coming and he backed away from her a little, just in time for the freezer door to be opened by backup forces. Dan looked a little spooked, like he seen a ghost, but Lucifer and Nancy acted natural. "Good, you're all alive. We were getting concerned when no one answered the call. " One of the police said but stepped aside so the three could come out. Lucifer left first, followed with the small child who he still had the sweet flavor of in his mouth, Dan however was still on edge and wanted to stay very far away from the Devil. "Y-yeah sorry, I didn't get a chance to... " He said voice trailing off and sounding a little odd.
The team gave him a few odd passing looks, wondering what his problem was. But a few more police team members were bringing a angry cuffed man outside from deeper within the shop. "Oh, by the way we caught the killer when he tried to leave the building through the back door. " One of the men told Dan and Lucifer, which was pleasing to hear to them both. "Good work. " The male detective said, attempting to act natural as he didn't want them to suspect something was up, even if something was very muddled in his head. Of course, what they all forgot was Nancy was still within earshot, even as she was looking around the crowd of police in search of her parents. "K-killer? " Her soft voice asked with a slight crack in it, her eyes wide as she looked to all the LAPD members for a explanation.
No one wanted to answer, in fact most of the police walked off, mumbling about needing to do something and Lucifer was keeping his distance already, mainly so Daniel didn't flip out in front of everyone. That pretty much left it to him, being stared down by a child fearing the worst and about to be confirmed of it. He was also still shaken up about all that happened in the last hour, but he had to be strong and tell her, she needed to know and it was time. Daniel walked up to her and crouched down, to be eye level with her for the news. "Your parents... they were the killer's first two victims, you were to be his third. I'm sorry Nancy... " He told her, taking a deep breath as the child processed what she just heard. "Mommy and d-daddy... they're gone? " She asked, though in a way that deep down, she knew the answer, she just had a sliver of hope that she was wrong.
Dan confirmed it with a sorrowful nod though, lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm so sorry Nancy... " He apologized again, just in time for the child to step forward and cling to him in a desperate hug. Her breathing hitched as tears formed in her eyes, her little body shaking as Daniel wrapped his arms gently around her to try and provide some comfort. It was a harsh reality to come crashing down on the child, to know she was now a orphan after having been in a loving family just two days before. It also made Daniel realize what was more important, for despite the child's understandable sadness, this day could have ended even worse if Lucifer didn't help them the way he did. It still mortified him and he wanted nothing to do with the Devil for awhile, but he couldn't deny that both him and Nancy would likely be dead without Lucifer. It was a small comfort, for the child wanted her parents back and no one could blame her for that wish.
It pained Dan to know that Nancy will likely have to go into foster care now, the girl didn't deserve that... She deserved her loving family, but life was sometimes very cruel. He knew that children were sometimes shuffled around for years before they find a decent family, heck some never find one and end up turning 18. A woman having heard the conversation started to dial social services to come pick her up, since they didn't think there was anything else they could do. The police department already checked all of LA for relatives and didn't find anyone, but social services could check all family records in case there was a member out of state. Daniel heard the phone conversation and knew it won't be too long now. "Some people are going to come and try to find you a new home. " He told her as they broke the hug, the child rubbing her watered eyes, a soft sob escaping her.
But when she heard that, she looked up a little frantically. "N-now? " She asked, not sounding very happy to that, she needed time to process all this, to accept it and come to terms. "Yes now, or whenever they come, which it shouldn't be too long. " He explained, the problem not clicking until after he spoke Nancy shook her head though, backing away further and before anyone could react, she turned and ran off away from the main group of police, darting past a few more who were too distracted to catch her in time. "Bloody Hell... " Lucifer commented with a roll of his eyes when he realized what happened, the child bolting off. Some of the police looked to Daniel, wondering what he said that made her run. But he gave a innocent shrug, he didn't mean to make her run off, he was just trying to explain the situation to her.
"Someone get the child! " The woman that had called suddenly yelled out, wondering why everyone was just standing around doing nothing. Lucifer sighed, deciding he should probably do it as she was likely not happy with Daniel and everyone else was busy. "I'll look for the creature. " He reluctantly volunteered, not thrilled but he was good at tracking things down, not as good as Maze, no she was especially good, but he was skilled enough. The little human couldn't have gotten far, certainly not far enough to shake the Devil off her tail. Dan shrugged again, he wasn't about to argue with the fallen angel that ate him after all, so instead he opted for answering anyone's questions about what happened, while of course avoiding the whole... freezer incident.
Lucifer found himself alone pretty quick, no one bothering to follow him and just rather him deal with it. He kinda wished he could just track the girl down and someone else would take her back but looks like he'd have to get her back too. She seemed to kinda like him though for helping her, so maybe she'll listen and just go back... He wasn't good with this whole sad about one's family thing. The floor was slick for easier cleaning which showed the child's wet tracks from his saliva and the frost in the freezer melting, but it also made his dress shoes click a little. Still he followed the trail around another corner, past some empty cardboard boxes stacked up.
That's when he began to hear sniffling, like a human crying coming from the boxes he just passed. Frowning he turned around, grabbing one of the boxes with foam peanuts in it and tossed it aside, the sound startling the owner of the sniffling, as he heard a gasp and then silence. "I know you're there child. " He spoke up, his tone firm. At first there was still nothing, he didn't want to tear her cardboard and foam hiding spot apart but he would if he had to. The Devil was not known for his patience but before he did anything brash, one box slowly moved downwards, revealing a puffy eyed Nancy, letting out a shaky breath as she looked up at Lucifer. "I'm s-sorry... I just... I want my parents back. " She stated, swallowing and setting the box aside, before walking around and coming into his full view.
"C-can you do something like t-that? Could... could you bring them b-back? Please... " Nancy asked, voice filled with hope. She reasoned that he was the Devil, so surely he could, like, grab their souls and bring them back to their bodies? "You can e-even have my soul, if you want it, j-just... please. " Lucifer sighed though, shaking his head. He didn't make deals for people's souls, but more importantly... "I don't want it, but I could if their souls went to Hell, though bringing humans back from the dead is very nasty business. " Plus it was unlikely two loving parents would go to Hell and then he'd have to explain why two previously dead victims were alive again. It just wasn't a good idea and, even if this was God's plan, even Lucifer didn't feel right fiddling with the dead. Humans died, that was how nature was, as cruel as it was.
Nancy deflated a bit at that, she felt it was worth a try but had a feeling he'd say something like that. She didn't bother to question why he didn't want her soul, it wasn't really any of her business. "I don't w-want to be someone else's c-child... " She said, rubbing her little eyes again and trying not to break down in front of the tall Devil. Lucifer was very uncomfortable about all this, partly because he was worried she'd hug him at any minute, but also because he couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity for the darling. Most children he saw, when they cried it was because they didn't get some useless thing they wanted or a dessert, but... she lost her family, this was a true reason to be upset.
Suddenly, a idea dawned on him, he wasn't sure what sort of research the police department did in finding next of kin, but he bet that he could get them or someone else to search better. Then she wouldn't be someone else's child, but just being taken care of by a family member, which seemed better to him. "Are you aware of any next of kin you may have? " He asked, keeping his voice serious and to try and not show he actually felt bad for the child. But his choice of words were responded to with a confused tilt of the little girl's head. "W-what? "
Lucifer sighed again, chest puffing out like a prideful peacock before pulling back in again. "Next of kin, meaning family, relatives, that sort of thing. " He explained, hoping maybe she'd know something they could go off of, like aunts or uncles or... anything. "I-I... have a grandmother, but I don't know w-where she lives. " She fidgeted, biting her lip and looking down as she debated about asking something of him, something else. She still needed time to process all this, things were happening so fast and it was hard for her to believe that her parents were really gone.
"Grandmother, very well, let's see if we can't get someone to search for her. Now c'mon, the others want you to come back. " He made a light gesture with his hand for her to follow him before turning and starting to walk. But with a glance behind his shoulder, he saw she wasn't following. She shuffled on her feet before looking back to him, trying to build up the bravery to ask what she wished to ask. "I was wondering... W-would you eat me again? It's c-comfortable in there and I c-can think about things... " She felt silly asking to be basically devoured again, a Devil's snack so to speak. She wasn't sure if he'd agree, if he did he would have to explain to the police where the child went, without lying.
But it would be much nicer, she could work on coming to terms with all of this in a quiet, safe place where no one could bother her, she wanted to get away for a bit and recover from the emotional damage and right now, she couldn't think of a better place. It was so comfortable and relaxing during the short time she was within without Daniel, when she had the Devil's belly all to herself to snuggle in. Nancy hoped he would say yes, if she was not so upset she might find it funny she was pleading to Satan to eat her for comfort. It was a fairly absurd idea really, but the child needed something and this was the best she could come up with.
Lucifer was a little surprised, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't. Not many sought out his stomach for comfort, usually it was a on the whim thing he did to keep humans safe and out of harm's way while he dealt with the pressing issue at hand, whatever that may be. But he never really had someone ask him to repeat the process, the child did seem desperate too. He really had no reason to decline, he was Lucifer, he could come up with something to say to everyone, likely the basic truth. The child needed some comfort and time, though he still couldn't wrap his head around why the child wanted to take her time nestled in his belly. "Well I could go for a good dinner so, why not~? " He responded, grinning with amusement.
Normally such a grin might be a bit unsettling, especially to a child, but she didn't have anything to worry about from him. Sure it might have been a little scary to know he was the Devil, but back in the freezer, despite his blunt ways he still helped and protected her and Daniel. Nancy wasn't sure what relationship him and Dan had, but she knew to him, she was nothing but a stranger, even now that couldn't have changed too much. But she was really happy to hear him say yes, a small smile gracing the child's face, despite her still teary, puffy eyes. She stayed still though, as she was not sure what to do exactly, if anything. He should just... pick her up and it'd be over soon, right? "T-thank you mister L-Lucifer. " Nancy said, taking a moment to wipe her eyes again.
Lucifer wondered if he might get a heavy dose of sodium from this if she was going to keep crying, but a little salt never hurt him before, if nothing else it might add to the flavor. He didn't say anything to her thanks, mostly because it caught him off guard again, this was a strange day... Instead he stepped forward and reached down, tucking his hands under her arms to lift her up. He decided since it would just be her and she was kinda small already, that he'll just swallow her full size. His three piece suit would help hide the extra weight in his middle, though anyone who knew what they were looking for might notice the little one inside. So he licked his lips before lifting Nancy up above him, earning a small squeak from her with being so high up and so effortlessly.
Nancy expected to be shrunk again, but so far it looked as if the Devil might skip that step this time, perhaps he was really hungry or felt like this would be easier? She didn't really mind as long as he knew what he was doing. His mouth opened up below her and her sneaker covered feet slipped inside, it seeming as if she was shrinking to fit anyway, but she didn't feel that tingly feeling. There was a gulp and her feet slid into his gullet, followed by her ankles, then it happened again, powerful muscles gripping her and pulling her down deeper inside with each swallow he took. It didn't hurt, but she definitely didn't want him upset at her. He was being gentle with her now, but she didn't want to know what those muscles could do if he was angry.
A few more swallows later and the little one's legs were gone, sealed up within the Devil's throat and chest somewhere. Her waist gave him no trouble and she found herself raising her hands away from his jaws. Even if Nancy asked for this, there was still that unshakable natural fear of being consumed and giving one's life to another person's hands. Obviously she wouldn't have asked if she didn't trust him but it was still not something one goes through everyday. At this point one of his hands let her go, while the other one moved to hold her back steady. His long piano fingers almost seemed to stretch impossibly far across her back, but it was just because she was so small and he was fairly big.
Lucifer's eyes were closed, either out of delight or just to focus, he continued onward, giving a occasional hum. It sounded happy, so he could only imagine everything was fine, perhaps he wasn't joking about being hungry? It would make sense, from what she remembered his stomach was entirely empty and who knows how long it was like that. Nancy felt her feet slip past a ring of muscle, the entrance to his stomach likely as the space was a bit more open. His mouth was up to her chest and quickly gaining on her. Since she had her hands up earlier, this likely meant she'd have to lift her arms above her head once he got to her shoulders.
The Devil tried to not be too ravenous about it, but yes he was hungry and the child tasted like a salty but sweet treat now, if only he could order like a hundred of these things to eat that was not a human child. Maybe chocolate covered pretzels would replicate the taste well enough. He did also know the police might get a little antsy and he didn't want to be caught with Nancy partway down his throat, so he tried not to delay but also make sure to be gentle with the delicate little one. He was somewhat joking about being hungry, but now that he thought about it, he wouldn't mind her filling presence in his belly, as long as she did her time thing quietly and didn't bug him too much.
Once his mouth was getting to her shoulders, he took more powerful swallows, both hands now pulled away, one just resting by his side and the other was on his stomach. The increased strength made the girl squeak, probably a little surprised but she seemed fine so he wasn't worried. Instead he focused on getting the rest of her down, gulping down her head softly as her arms stuck out of his jaws. He felt a comfortable tightness in his chest, if she was any bigger it might have been bothersome, but at this moment it just made him aware he was eating a fairly large object. Once her head and elbows were in his throat, he closed his mouth softly around what remained of her arms, his lips pressing softly against the little limbs. With a slurp and a long swallow, her arms and little hands slipped down his throat to join their owner inside.
A few moments later as she passed through his chest, she slid down into his snug and cozy stomach, curling up in a fetal position inside to get comfortable. It was just as warm, soft and gentle as she remembered. The soft white light was still in here, acting as a nightlight of sorts which put her at ease. She didn't like the dark so she was thankful for it. Nancy heard the happy Devil burp a little, the sound vibrating around her. But she still had plenty of air to breathe, especially if she relaxed and kept still. As she leaned back and allowed her thoughts to wander, she felt strong hands softly patting and rubbing the stomach around her for a few moments. Lucifer certainly seemed pleased with his snack.
Lucifer was indeed happy, now all he had to do was get Dan to not call him out and get the others to give the child the time she needed. He figured by the end of the day, the tasty human would be ready to come out and hopefully by then they'd have her grandmother or at least know where she was. He didn't say anything and just left her be in her little thinking space. Instead he turned to head back to the police group, hoping the happy gurgling from his belly won't alarm anyone. The only person who had a reason to suspect he ate the child again was Daniel, so if he could just convince him that it was alright and the child had asked for it, then all would be just fine.
Everyone saw Lucifer return, all smug and pleased with himself. "Did you find her? " One of the other policemen asked, looking around for signs of a child with him. "I did indeed, but the small human requested some alone time with myself and Daniel, coping issues and all that. " He explained though the way he explained it made it clear he didn't understand it. The cop gave him a unsure look, but soon shrugged, seeming to accept that excuse. It wasn't really lying, the little one did ask for quiet time with him, just... within him. And he'll likely be driving back to the department with Daniel. "Alright, everyone let's get out of here!" The police guy called out to everyone, in which they nodded and started to clean up any gear they had out to investigate the scene.
Daniel saw Lucifer return and heard his answer, making him frown a little... What was the Devil up to? He saw him walking straight to him and felt a spike of fear run down his spine. He didn't want to show his nervousness to Lucifer, or any weakness really, but it was hard not to. Instead Dan stood strong and straight, preparing for whatever Lucifer wanted to say to him. He happened to be off to the side, so they were in a decent place to talk a little as the rest of the department crew started to head outside. "Daniel, might I speak to you for a moment? " The fallen angel asked, though by now Dan knew there was no telling Lucifer not to speak, he spoke his mind whether anybody wanted to hear it or cared. So he shrugged and replied simply. "Shoot. "
Lucifer clapped his hands together, preparing for how he wanted to tell him. "The child did indeed request some quiet time with us, me namely. But you likely won't approve of the location. " The Devil said, moving a hand to idly rest on the little bulge in his stomach, easily overlooked by most. Dan looked down and saw the little lump shift a little, showing what was inside was indeed alive. It reminded him of one of those creepy alien movies and he stepped back. "Woah man... you can't just... What do you want me to do about it? " The detective asked, pointing at himself as his uneasiness showed through a bit more. He was about to say Lucifer couldn't just eat whoever he wanted but... Considering he just did, it didn't seem wise to finish that sentence.
The detective's question was returned with a pleased grin from the Devil. "I'm glad you asked, but what I require from you is quite simple, just keep the knowledge of the child's location to yourself. She asked me directly to devour her and I'm not one to turn down a meal~ But I don't need trouble about it from the entire police department. " Daniel raised a eyebrow to that, she actually... asked him to eat her? "Why would she... ask for that? " He looked a little repulsed, but he knew Lucifer wasn't one to lie. If that's what the kid asked, that's what she asked, it was just very odd to Daniel. He knew he'd never ask for such a thing that's for sure.
Lucifer shrugged, taking a casual step back to give the detective some space. "How should I bloody know? Small humans are confusing little creatures. All she said was it was comfortable and she can think about things. " Daniel nodded softly, it made a tiny bit of sense, if he blocked out the whole eating part, the child is stressed and wanted a place she could hide and cope with her losses. Lucifer's stomach was the last place Dan would think of, but if it made the little girl happy, he didn't have the heart to ruin it for her. "Alright... fine just... don't eat anyone else, alright? " The human didn't really believe he could tell Lucifer what to do, but he would rather him not make it a regular thing of him making a snack out of people.
"No promises Daniel~ " The Devil replied with a devious grin, before he turned and started to walk towards the exit of the butcher shop. Everyone was ready to leave this place, Dan included. He just didn't look forward to riding in a car with him and Nancy, not that there was anything wrong with the girl, but knowing she was in Lucifer's stomach and only he knew was unnerving. The realization that the Devil could consume whoever he wanted and talk his way out of trouble was a scary one and after this, he'd like to keep his distance from him. He'd be glad once Chloe returned and Lucifer would be too busy annoying her to mess with him too much, hopefully.
Daniel stepped outside last, most of the police already drove off, but his car was still here, so he got into the driver side, Lucifer was already sitting in the passenger, looking bored. The detective ignored him and started the car after closing the door, pulling out of the parking lot and following another police car. Silence filled the car as Lucifer watched the man grip the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. Clearly his... eating habits was getting to the man's nerves, despite his efforts to hide it. The Devil wasn't quite cruel enough to stress him out further, instead he rolled down the window on his side and rested his arm on the door, letting the breeze blow in and also break the dead silence a bit.
The drive back was tense, Nancy felt bad for the other male, Lucifer must have spooked him pretty bad but she wasn't sure what to do about it. If she spoke up it might freak him out more, so she just tried to not move around too much, at least until the man was gone. Finally Lucifer spoke up, realizing he had to mention something. "The child said she might have a grandmother we could contact, but she doesn't know where she lives. If we could get her to family though that might be best for the small human. " The Devil explained, though he kinda wanted to hide the fact he cared in the first place. Daniel nodded in agreement after making a turn. "Alright, I will search the database for a grandmother that's out of state under her last name. "Which they already knew, given they had to ID her parents before.
Everyone was quiet all the way there after that, though it was a pretty short drive. Daniel parked and turned off the engine, opening the driver door and attempting to quickly get out. But he forgot to unbuckle his seatbelt. "Ahh! Dang it. " He muttered, not making eye contact with a amused Lucifer smirking at him, watching him unbuckle the seat belt before getting out. His pace was brisk as he made his way to the door, not looking back to see if Lucifer was following or not, but he assumed he would be.
Daniel didn't even hold the door open for the Devil though as he was following somewhat close behind, the door closing in his face as a result. "Lovely... " Thankfully Chloe wasn't around so it didn't hurt, but it was still kind of annoying. With a grumble he pushed it open and made his way to Chloe's desk, which wasn't far from Dan's. The male detective was already in the seat, clicking around on stuff on his computer, while Lucifer sat down at Chloe's. He figured since he was her partner he could use her desk while she was away.
Both males were quiet, Lucifer was focused on searching for Nancy's grandmother, he wasn't sure what Daniel was doing but he wanted to find her and get her here before social services decided to take her to foster care. Daniel was doing the same turns out, just different parts, but he was distracted and his eyes kept wandering to Lucifer, namely his belly with little Nancy tucked inside. The bulge moved occasionally when the child shifted positions or snuggled against the soft innards. Daniel kept trying to remind himself that the child was happy, or... not happy but she asked for it, she wanted the comfort against her parents death, so in a way Lucifer was doing good, the best he got anyway. It was hard to keep that in mind though, but before he could think on it further, he finally spotted something.
"I think I found her. " Daniel called, bringing up the ID picture of a older woman, 75 years old, living in Idaho with the same last name as Nancy and her parents. Lucifer glanced over to the detective, just as Nancy made a curious sound, seeming to have heard the call. The Devil soon stood up out of Chloe's chair and walked over to Daniel's desk, not noticing as he shifted away from him, leaning and moving his chair away. "Well, time to give her a call. " Lucifer said, grinning to Dan before backing off. The human felt his heart skip a few beats and flutter a bit, but once Lucifer was out of arm's reach his heartbeat evened out to normal again. Yes, call the woman and end this weirdness.
Daniel was still a little shaky but he grabbed the phone and dialed the number documented on her information. Glancing around while waiting he spotted the Devil just sitting in another chair, bored and staring at nothing specific. Finally someone picked up the phone before he could join in on the boredness of waiting. "Yes? What is it? " It was a woman's voice, sounding a little on the elderly side. "Is this Fannie Weathers? " The detective asked, making sure he had the right woman before telling her what was up. At the corner of his eye he saw Lucifer shift to watch with a bit more interest than before.
"Yes that's me, who is this? " There was a lace of distrust in the woman's voice and Daniel decided he better start explaining before she hung up. "This is the Los Angeles police department, I'm calling about your family here. " There was a small gasp on the other side of the phone, before she spoke up again. "Why? What happened? " She seemed to believe him now but sounded worried. Dan sighed as he tried to think of the best way to word it for her. "Nancy, your granddaughter, she needs a home, a guardian. Her parents were the victims of a homicide yesterday and we're searching for next of kin to take her in. " He explained, pausing to let the words sink in and give the woman a minute.
"Oh my God... That poor dear... Is she alright at least? " The woman on the phone asked and Daniel couldn't help but have slight doubt, he'd hate to lie only for Lucifer to harm the child, but he did still see soft movement in the Devil's belly and that'd be a brand new level of cruel even for Lucifer if he was lying. "Yes she's safe, she's upset about the loss of her family though. " He supposed that was kind of obvious but felt he should let her know anyway. "I understand... I will take a plane over there to LA and pick her up, will she stay at your department until I get there? " Dan figured Lucifer would keep her with him, but he can't have the fallen angel going back to Lux with her either. "Yes she'll stay here with us. "
The phone call ended soon after once Daniel gave her directions and she wrote them down so she won't get lost. "When will the child's grandmother be here? " Lucifer asked, wanting to know how long he'd have to wait. He was sure Nancy probably wanted to know too all things considered. "Tonight, probably around midnight, the plane flight is a late one but it's as fast as they have over there. " Dan answered, sitting back in his chair to relax a little now that his work was mostly done. He still had to do some paperwork surrounding the case but he needed a minute.
Sadly, the poor detective won't be getting much of a minute, as a woman came barging into the department, possibly a member of social services. She didn't look pleased as she looked at Lucifer, then Dan. "Where is Nancy? When we got to the butcher shop, she was gone, Hell, everyone was gone. What is going on? " She had her hands on her hips, looking none too pleased. "Um... I can explain, ma'am. When Nancy heard you were coming she got scared and ran away. The girl asked for some time to cope with her losses and, well we found next of kin and contacted them already. " Daniel explained, of course leaving out the stuff he shouldn't mention.
The woman still didn't seem too happy, but at least there was a reason for the absence. She looked back to Lucifer again but was still wondering where the child actually was. "Can I at least see her and make sure she's well? " Plus she did want to research this so called next of kin, for when she checked around LA there wasn't anyone listed. She found it odd the girl was nowhere to be seen, but this was the police department so what was the worst they could do? Though she wasn't thrilled about the looks of Lucifer, he didn't seem like a good influence for a child to be around.
After she spoke up with her request though, Lucifer stood up and walked to her. "We have it handled darling~ You need not worry about it. " he said in his typical smooth, tempting voice, dark eyes bearing into the woman's with a Devilish grin on his face. "Surely you rather be doing something better than worrying about a child that's already been saved by us, right? " The woman took a few steps back away from the encroaching man, but considered what he said.
"Fine... I guess, But I will be checking up on things, if the child is still without a home in two days, something will be done, alright? " She replied firmly to the Devil. He hummed a bit in reply, confident that they won't break that deadline if her grandmother will be here tonight. "Don't worry about it love, the small human will be safe and sound~ " He reassured, before gently taking the woman's hand and starting to lead her out of the building. She protested a little, but Lucifer coaxed her further, telling her everything was fine and would be handled correctly. The whole time she had no idea that the child was right under their noses, Nancy knew to be still and quiet as she didn't want to be taken by her, not when grandma was coming, plus she rather stay with Lucifer until then. Even if he was talking funny now.
Eventually it seemed the Devil managed to convince the woman to let it lie and she left the police department. Once Lucifer closed the door he sighed in relief, giving a gentle pat to his middle since no one was around right now. But words traveled and he knew better than to speak, especially since his voice seemed to travel extra far. Instead he walked back to the office area to go back to waiting.
Once he got back though, Daniel was oddly gone... perhaps the human went on his pudding break, or to wrap up the case. Either way it was a little disappointing, without him around to tease it made waiting that much more boring. He couldn't talk to his little snack so what was he going to do... He took a seat at Chloe's desk anyway and leaned back, crossing his knees over one another and criss crossing his fingers on his chest.
The Devil watched various humans come and go through the offices, most folk not really noticing him or giving a flyby greeting. None really caught his interest to bother, so he found himself fishing the phone out of his breast pocket to check the time. It was evening, so he didn't have too long to wait, Idaho wasn't far from California after all, he just wasn't sure when the flight took off and how many times it will stop on the way. Still he will go by what Daniel had stated and that it will indeed be by midnight.
As Lucifer waited in his detective's chair, Nancy took the time to do the thinking and recovering she asked for. She'd be more or less happy with grandma, Idaho was pretty and it might help clear her mind to get away from the big city, live in a different, hopefully more peaceful environment. By now she accepted that her parents were gone and not even the Devil would bring them back. She understood why, she heard enough about zombies in silly movies that her parents watched but tried to hide from her as they didn't want her exposed to that at a early age.
She was thankful for everything him and Daniel did for her though, Lucifer for saving her and allowing her to stay inside of his belly for the time being and Daniel for understanding and helping them find her grandmother so she didn't have to go into foster care. She had a chance to thank Lucifer already but not Dan, she hoped she would get such a chance though, he deserved it she felt. The child was unaware of how much her presence in the Devil's belly was bothering Dan, but she felt quite comforted by it.
She didn't have a lot of room in his stomach, but the soft gurgling sounds and the way it seemed to cradle her inside made her happy, she didn't mind at all waiting in here until Fannie arrived. Though Nancy did wonder how Lucifer was going to pull it off without anyone noticing him, she'd feel bad if she got him in trouble. But given who he was, he probably had plenty of aces up his sleeve. Her young mind began to wander, thinking about what it would be like without her parents... She will miss them, for a long time to come, if not her entire life. It will be a weird change no doubt.
Daniel came back soon, sure enough eating a container of chocolate pudding with a white plastic spoon. He spotted Lucifer in the same spot he figured he would be in, still poking around on his phone, probably playing a game or something to pass the time. The detective kinda wished he would help with paperwork but if Chloe couldn't get the Devil to help, there was no way he was going to. He walked back to his desk to sit down, keeping Lucifer at the corner of his eye to be aware of what he was up to while finishing up his pudding.
Lucifer meanwhile kept a eye on Dan, but with a devious glint in his eye. By now he did know how much the arrangement between him and Nancy made the human male uneasy, he was thinking about all the ways he could perhaps tease the man about it, that was in ways that didn't make the rest of the department wonder anymore than they already do about Lucifer's sanity.
Normally Dan would head home by now as 10 PM came along, but the paperwork still wasn't done and he decided that he should do it for Chloe so she didn't have to when she returned to Devil was behaving himself more or less so he tried not to let his paranoia get to him and distract him from his work too much. After his pudding was gone he went to work after finding a working pen. He had to bend the truth a little or keep things vague when it came to explaining what happened in the freezer, hopefully the others won't care about that part and focus on the bigger stuff.
After some time, a older woman came stepping down the stairs into the office rooms, it was late, around midnight and she looked a little unsure, lost even. Daniel didn't notice her, but Lucifer spotted her as he peeked over the top of his phone. That was his queue to get the child out of his belly, which at this point, she may or may not be asleep... But it was possible that the work of getting her out will wake her up. "Daniel. " He spoke up to the detective that was just finishing up his report, causing him to look up and around, before spotting the woman stepping up to the two males.
It was pretty much just Lucifer and Dan at the department now, everyone else went home but these two stayed, wanting to deal with this personally and make sure everything was well. "Which one of you young men called me about Nancy? " She asked, her voice soft, frail almost, but tender. She didn't need a cane so she wasn't helpless and Daniel saw that she works at the local grocery store on her records so she had a job and everything. Dan stood up, as he was the one that made the call, raising his hand and taking a breath. "That would be me, ma'am. "
She gave him a sweet smile, then looked around some more. "Where is the poor dear? " Both males looked to each other, Daniel trying to come up with something to say while Lucifer stood up. "She's somewhere quiet to cope with everything, but don't you worry any, I'll go get her and come back love. " Lucifer piped up, sort of saving Dan in having to lie or make up some poor excuse. The detective blinked to the level of smooth talking that just came out of the Devil's mouth, but quickly nodded to show he was expecting that. "Yeah just uhh... stay here and we'll wait for him. " He said, hands setting awkwardly on his hips and glancing behind him as Lucifer walked away, towards the department's bathroom.
He had to go into the men's side, even if he'll be coming out with a female child, no one else was here to witness and wonder what the Hell, so that was good. Once he closed the door behind him, he placed a hand on his middle, giving a soft pat to try and get the child's attention. "Are you awake small human? " The Devil asked, waiting a few moments for a response. There was some slight shifting inside, like perhaps she was sleeping but his voice woke her up. This was proven to be correct when she spoke with a sleepy voice. "Yes mister Lucifer...? I mean, I am now... is something wrong? " She asked, tiny fingers pressing into the soft stomach wall above her.
Lucifer smiled a bit, he didn't mind the child's company too much but he'll be glad for her to go to her new home and he can go back to being a devious Devil at Lux. "Nothing is wrong, your grandmother is here to pick you up however, which means it's time to come out. " He told the little one, but didn't wait for a answer before he began to tighten up his stomach muscles, the floor of the belly rising to push little Nancy back up his throat. The action earned him a surprised squeak, but the child kept still as Lucifer kneaded her upwards.
Soft but powerful muscles squished all around her, squeezing hard enough that the slimy walls didn't just have her sliding back down into his stomach, but soft enough that it didn't cause any harm to the human. She already went through this once before, but it was still so weird to experience. Nancy was a little sad to know this may be the last time she will ever see Lucifer, but it made sense, the Devil was likely a busy man and most humans probably never got to meet him, especially under such conditions.
The little one saw light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, when her head poked up into his jaws and they opened up, revealing the light in the bathroom. She was so glad that she was no longer in that awful butcher shop but instead in... well, she hoped they'll be leaving the bathroom soon. Fresh air was nice after being tucked away in Lucifer's stomach, breathing humid air for hours though. There was a wet squelch from the throat below her against her feet as she slid up and out further, just in time for Lucifer to grab her and pull her out of his mouth by her shoulders.
Nancy curled her legs after they left his mouth, but straightening out when she saw him lower her down onto the ground for her to stand on her own two feet. She was all but dripping with Devil spit, gooey saliva and slime covering her from head to toe. She looked up at Lucifer a little awkwardly, smiling but afraid to really move. The tall male shifted, humming in thought as he looked around the room, spotting a towel hanging up, that would work. He walked over and grabbed the white, simple towel, it wasn't very big but it will help. Lucifer brought it back to her, watching her take it and wrap herself in the fabric. "Splendid~ Now let's get you to your grandmother, c'mon. " He pushed open the bathroom door, holding it open for the small human to walk out. Wet sneakers made squish sounds as she walked out, but the towel was helping in drying some of it off.
She followed Lucifer out into the office area, where she saw Daniel talking to Fannie. "Grandmomma! " The child cheered, walking past Lucifer as he stopped short. "Oh there she is! ' Dan spoke up, seeming to have been trying to assure the woman everything is fine. "Oh baby... you poor thing, I'm so sorry about your folks and my sweet, sweet daughter... " Fannie said, a hand on her heart and a sorrowful look on her face. Nancy lowered her head, feeling a pang of sadness in her from the thought as well. She was far from over it, but she was on the road to recovery regardless. "It's just not fair grandma... " The child said, huddling in her towel further.
Thankfully, Fannie didn't question why the child was still wet and Daniel took a step back to give them space. "I know sweetie... I'll take care of you and keep you safe though, are you ready to go? " the older woman asked, holding her hand out to her granddaughter. But Nancy looked back at Dan and Lucifer, deciding this was her chance. "Not yet, I want to thank and say goodbye to them first. " She explained sweetly, before turning and going to Dan first as he was the closest.
"Thank you... for helping me find Fannie and understanding, for... everything, really. " She wanted to hug him but figured she shouldn't, not when she was still a little gooey. Daniel wasn't expecting that, but smiled and chuckled a little awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "It's no trouble really, it's... it's my job, it's our job. I'm just sorry we couldn't save your parents. " The detective said, his smile turning bittersweet while giving the girl a gentle pat on one shoulder, which was safely covered in the towel so he wasn't worried.
Nancy smiled wider at the human, eyes bright even if they still had laces of tears and sadness in them. She then went to Lucifer, who backed up a few steps until he bumped into Chloe's desk. Thankfully she didn't plan on hugging him either, assuming he wouldn't want his own drool on his clothes. "And thank you, for saving me and giving the time I needed." She already thanked him before but she wanted to do it again, as it was the last chance she might have.
Lucifer gave a dry laugh, but there was a faint softness on his face. "You're welcome...small creature. Don't worry, your parents killer will be punished accordingly~ " The Devil replied, giving a playful smirk. He was a bit disappointed that he couldn't punish the man personally, but he did wonder what the other inmates might think about the knowledge that he had orphaned a innocent child. They might not care, but maybe some will and that would be worth it.
The little human giggled at him though, finding his Devilish-ness funny, before she walked back to her grandmother. "Okay grandma, I'm ready. " The girl said, her hand now dry she took the older female's offered hand and began walking with her out of the police department. "Thank you again gentlemen, do take care now. " Fannie said to them both, before walking up the stairs and heading outside. After the two girls were gone, silence fell upon the office rooms, Lucifer and Daniel standing side by side, both a bit proud of their work today.
The silence was broken though when Lucifer turned to Dan with a dark, Devilish grin. "You know, I could go for something... chocolate flavored~ " He teased, giving a slow, hungry lick of his lips at the human. Of course he wasn't going to actually eat him again, but the chance to tease was too tempting to pass up. Dan blinked, it taking a moment to piece together what the Devil was hinting at, before it dawned on him and he took a few quick steps back. "Lucifer no, go.. get yourself a pudding in the break room or something... I have to go home. " His voice was strained, having a lace of fear in it as he turned, grabbed his jacket and keys before speed walking in the same direction Nancy and Fannie went.
Lucifer hummed, chuckling in amusement to himself as he watched the detective go. The next week or so is going to be so much fun, he could just feel it... Speaking of detectives, he should check on a certain female blonde one and her spawn, at a safe distance that is. Perhaps in the morning though, it was late and he knew she got cranky when he broke into her home at late hours. Or early... depending on how one looked at it.