"Please stay where you are, don't come any closer," Love In The Dark -Adele


Both Chloe and Lucifer were feeling an overwhelming need to punch into their computer screen in hopes of making the results finish faster. In reality, destroying the computer would be highly counter-productive. However, it would also have been highly satisfying considering it had been thirteen minutes and the bar was stuck at 66%.

"Why is it taking so long?" Lucifer whines.

Chloe tips her head, "I'm not quite sure. It was only supposed to take a couple hours, and it is long past that." She looks over at the clock reading 10:38pm. Beginning to try and find a better way to sit in this chair felt like a never ending battle, but a necessary one since she knows she is going to be here for a while. It isn't easy, but Chloe is small so it only takes a moment or two until she has found an okay position. "You know Lucifer, I bet your club needs you. If you want to leave you can. I'll call you if I find anything."

"No, it's fine Detective-" he begins, both his sentence and trying to fit into his own chair much like Chloe. However, not only does he have a taller body, but he is also bulkier in more ways than one. "-Really it's fine-". His shoulders broad, and long legs, all adding up to him being unable to fit nicely and almost getting stuck in the process. He tries moving his suit around, tugging and holding fabric in places. Lifting up and down trying to mash this puzzle piece in a chair of the wrong cut out. They just weren't fitting, and Lucifer sighs in defeat. "Would you mind if I ducked out?" He admits quickly.

Chloe lets a smile creep across her face. "Go ahead." Lucifer stands and fixes himself up with grace, his slender fingers buttoning his suit jacket. Smoothing out the wrinkles, and then moving them up into his sleek hair. He nods in Chloe's direction and walks to the door silently, however when he reaches the frame, he stops quite like he did the other morning in Chloe's house. He poses once again with one arm resting in the frame as he places his weight in one hip and stares directly at Chloe.

"Promise me if it gets passed midnight you will go home," Lucifer pleads. "I get that the babysitter can stay at your place overnight, but you deserve at least some time with your daughter. Even if it is just a tale reading before bed."

Chloe is shocked. When she met this guy all he cared about was revenge, and getting even, and his own affairs. Now, he pays attention to those around him, and knows enough to actually care about those in his life. He knows enough about Chloe to care if she sees her daughter once in a day. It's like within a few weeks, he has become something more than the acquaintance she once mistook him for. It's like the feeling of respect was now a two way road, with no construction. Respect, trust, and something else was now present. She knew what that something was, but she would be damned to say she loved a man first ever again in her life. Chloe needed to know for sure that this feeling of love was mutual, but every time a moment like this occurred, she was more and more sure.

"I will. Goodnight Lucifer," Chloe answers.

Lucifer's presence disappears and is immediately felt. Something about when he was gone didn't feel right. This sense of excitement, danger, and want disappeared along with him. Chloe puts her head in her hands and looks at the clock again. 10:41pm. It had only been three minutes, and when she looks at the scan, it now reads 67%. With a grunt, she pulls out her cell phone to tell the babysitter she was going to be home earlier than expected.

"Hey girl. Listen, I thought it was going to be a late night but nothing is coming up in this case, so it's going to be an early night for me-"

The screen makes a BLEEP noise over and over again while large letters read RESULTS COMPLETE.

"Actually scratch that, I'll call you back," Chloe says, hanging up. The cursor moves to click on the VIEW RESULTS. "That was quick," she jokes. "You couldn't have done this five minutes ago?"

Her hands find their way into a praying position, and she rests the tip of her nose on her top fingers as she waits for the screen to load. She can feel the sweat on her forehead, and her heart rate beating at a fast pace she can hear in her ears. When she opens her eyes at the sound of the new page opening, she feels her breath catch in her throat. Chloe feels like she can't believe it, but yet she totally can. This puts the suspect at the scene, and is enough for a court date or another part to her investigation, or even an arrest.

But before she can think of running to the police or calling Lucifer to share the news, her own phone rings. Caller unknown, it reads across the small screen. There is hesitation in Chloe's thumb as she debates answering. Ignoring her own feeling of what she hopes is just irrational fear, she answers anyway. "Hello?"

It is a voice modulator, and a good one. There is no telling who it actually is on the other line. "Detective Chloe Decker. I see you have found out my identity."

"I have," Chloe confirms. "And if you knew what was good for you, you would turn yourself over to the authorities immediately."

"I think not," the voice affirms. "Unless you want harm to come to your partner."

Chloe knows this strikes a chord deep within her, so she decides to throw him off. "Who Dan?"

"No Chloe," it warns.

"Then who?" Chloe asks, playing dumb, and praying for a different answer than the only one stabbing at the front of her mind.

"Lucifer."

The way the voice says Lucifer's name makes Chloe chilled to the bone, shuddering, and before she even speaks again she feels unsteady. Ever since Chloe had shot Lucifer, her image of him was slightly skewed. Before then he had seemed truly invincible and immortal, but she now knew he wasn't. This once perfect being could be harmed, and could even bleed. Now that someone was threatening him, she had a feeling in her gut shouting at her to do anything to keep him safe. Without him, what would she do?

"What do you want?" Chloe accuses, trying to stay strong.

"I want you Chloe, and the evidence. Meet me abandoned bank, I know you can get in. Don't even think about bringing back-up, or Lucifer, or I will hurt them beyond what you could imagine in your worst nightmares. Come alone, and bring the hair, and anything else you may have collected. I'm waiting for your arrival," the voice finishes and the call ends with monotone beeping on Chloe's end.

As Chloe lowers the cell phone, her hand is shaking so hard that she just drops the phone, and doesn't think twice. She had never been put in a situation like this, where those she loves are being threatened. Knowing she can't tell anybody only makes it worse, and she can feel a single hot tear leave her eyes. This is anything but a win-win situation. If she goes, she might get hurt and be risking everything about this case. If she doesn't, Lucifer could get hurt. Chloe stands up from her desk, her legs feeling weak at the thought.

You used to be strong, her own voice attacks her. What's happened to you? You used to rush into danger without looking back or thinking of the consequences! But things were different now. Back then she didn't feel as though she had anything to live for except her abuse husband. Now she had Trixie, her beautiful daughter who would have a hard time without her mother. Now she had Lucifer. Chloe knows in order to save those she cares about, she has to move forward and take the steps to protect them. Chloe grabs her keys, and wipes her eyes. She ejects the hair from the testing computer, and places it back in its envelope.

Now it was time for Chloe to remind herself of the woman she used to be, while saving those she loves as the Chloe she is now.


In Los Angeles, there was a bank that hadn't been open since 1913. There had been protests to knock the building down, but there was just as many protests about it being a historical building with significant tourist value. Chloe didn't care either way, she was here for a purpose far greater than that of an historical treasure. She was here to stop a murderer. Her shoes sounded an echo through the empty building as she made her way inside using a town council key she had borrowed before she left. The windows were all glass, and the streets outside were empty in this abandoned part of town.

"I'm here," Chloe says into the void space. "And I brought what you wanted."

Silence.

"I didn't bring anyone with me, like you asked," she adds.

Silence.

"Look, I'm not wasting my time here. I can call the police anytime I please-"

"Stop," a voice shouts out. It is loud, and more like a manly scream, filling all the empty space and causing Chloe to flinch at the sudden noise. She tries to pinpoint where the sound is coming from, but can't tell. It seems like it is coming from everywhere all at once. The acoustics were phenomenal. "Drop your firearm."

"How do I know you aren't going to hurt me?" Chloe asks, lifting the side of her jacket and curling her hands around the handle.

"You don't," the voice shouts out again. "And you really can't trust me either Detective. But if you want Lucifer alive, you will drop it."

Chloe squats down to the floor slowly and carefully places the gun on the ground. "I've done everything you have asked," she continues as she also places the envelope on the ground. "You have no more reason to harm him."

"You are quite right Detective," the killer shouts one last time.

Chloe is met with more silence. She is standing around, trying to listen for him, and failing. Keeping on the balls of her toes, she begins to mentally prepare herself for whatever comes next.

Within a single moment, there is a hand tightly wrapped around her waist, pulling her towards her attacker. The other hand is holding a cloth, and is wrapped around Chloe's mouth. She begins to struggle, knowing exactly what this drug soaked fabric could do to her if the other two victims were any indication. Chloe knows she only has seconds to break free, and she tries to hold her breath slightly to buy more time as she struggles against him. Panic is beginning to set in already, and she can feel herself wanting to go to sleep.

Chloe. No. Fight this bastard. Use your head. Be brave. Stay awake.

Not being able to do much with her arms, she pulls forward slightly and slams her whole body weight back into her attacker. This causes him to falter his balance, and the two of them take unbalanced backwards steps, until his feet slip from under him. They were too close to one of the old windows, and the glass shatters around them as they both plunge through the shards and now empty space.

When he lands on the ground the impact allows her to roll away from him, and he grunts from the force of the initial landing. Chloe only gets a a couple of feet from rolling and when her momentum stops, she is exhausted. She can feel her lungs weighing more than they ever should, and her breathing is heavy and quick paced. Her eyes fighting to stay open as her vision blurs.

Stay awake.

Shards of glass are stuck in multiple places on her body and when she looks down she can see blood around her, and when she looks back to the impact point, she can see a bit of his blood where he was laying. But he is no longer there. Chloe can now hear his footsteps crunching the glass beneath them as he moves back inside to collect the evidence. He makes his way back to her, and looms over her.

Stay awake.

"Boy, do I now have plans for you Detective. Not only do you know too much," he says. He inspects his arms and slowly pulls out a piece of glass about an inch or two long. It's covered in blood, and the smile on his face is enough for even the Joker himself to be terrified of. "But now you've pissed me off," he finishes, throwing the glass piece to the ground, and throwing himself to his knee to grab Chloe's jacket. He lifts up her temporarily paralyzed torso off the ground.

"Say goodnight Detective," the man teases, while raising his fist.

Stay-

Before he can even connect his fist with Chloe's face, the drug has placed Chloe under, and she is surrounded by unrelenting darkness. Not knowing where she is going to wake up, or if she ever is.


Quick Authors Note: Thank You all so much for your reads, favorites, follows. As well as my favorite, your comments. Now, as you can probably guess we are heading into a more high action portion of this story and you may have noticed I left the killer nameless. I'd like for you to leave your comments not only on this chapter and it's events and quality, but on who you think the killer is. Thomas, Brent, or Fred? Thanks again little devils, and I hope to update again soon!