a/n: It has been one hell of a rotten year, but it's coming around. We'll get there, y'all, come hell or high water. Shoutout to the wonderful Lux Cain! This one is for you, my dear!

Chapter Ten

Dan folded his arms across his chest and leaned his back against the wall, letting his head gently thump against the hard surface. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to take a slow, deep breath, to calm his growing anxiety. He had been waiting for word on Chloe's condition for nearly two hours, though it felt as he'd been waiting for days. His patience had been in check. At first. He had remained in the main sitting area, as told, but as time had continued to pass much too rapidly without any information, his temper had started to flare. Dan had raised his voice as he had asked his questions, had flashed his badge to get his answers more quickly. At that point, he had been removed from the public waiting room as not to further stress the family and friends of other patients. Hospital security had escorted him into a more private space, a space occupied by one other person.

Lucifer Morningstar.

Rolling his head to the left, Dan opened his eyes and locked on Lucifer's form as the taller man paced the room. Lucifer's hair was wet, curls threatening to spring from their straightened state. His clothing was wet as well, the fabric hanging heavily over his shoulders, clinging tightly to his back. The soaked areas took on a shade of purple darker than the shirt's normal hue, catching the eyes, but the spot darker still along the sleeve of Lucifer's left elbow fiercely snagged Dan's attention.

"Is that your blood or hers?" Dan asked as he closed his eyes again. Lucifer stopped his pacing and turned towards the male detective, a confused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry?'

"The marks on your shirt." He motioned to his own elbow as he opened his eyes. "Your blood or hers?" Lucifer pulled at the rolled up cuff, sliding the material around his arm and into view. He frowned as he eyed the bloodstains. The glass that had covered the ground beside Chloe had significantly sliced into his skin as he had settled beside her. He hadn't paid any attention to the cuts, to the blood until a paramedic had asked if he'd needed care. His fingers hooked under the cuff and pulled the shirt over his elbow, skimming the skin along the way. No sigh of the injuries remained; he had healed completely during the drive from the warehouse to the hospital.

"Mine," Lucifer answered quietly.

"This whole civilian consultant thing," Dan started, slowly shaking his head, "is a bunch of bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He pushed himself from the wall and stepped forward. "It's your fault she's in there; your fault she's injured."

"Oh?" Lucifer cocked his head to the side. "And what, pray tell, leads you to that conclusion?"

"Many things," he replied. "First off, she wouldn't be tangled in this whole mess with Lloyd if you weren't her partner."

"I hardly think I'm to blame for—"

"Secondly, you're not trained for this type of situation," he continued. "For any police-involved situation. Chloe needed someone who is. But because you were there not knowing how to handle things, she's hurt."

"All right," Lucifer nodded. "I'll play this little game. First off," he repeated with a bit, "the detective would not be in this situation if you were not involved with dear ol' Henry. Don't," he started, holding up a hand. "Do not try to refute my claim, Detective Douche. I do not like liars and trying to round your way about this tangled web will not put you any more in my favor. Secondly," he continued, "I may not be trained in this ridiculous list of rules your organization has and does not follow, yet I don't see any of your fellow officers stepping up to be her partner. Nor do I see you offering any support."

"Support? There was a reason I called you and told you she had been texting me all day." He ran a hand through his hair and walked away.

"I think you and I have very different ideas of what 'support' means."

"You were supposed to keep Chloe off Lloyd's tail. Come on, man," he sighed, turning back to Lucifer. "We had a deal. A deal you broke."

"I did no such thing," Lucifer defended. "I said I would do my best to deter her." His eyes hardened. "I can't possibly know what she's up to every minute of every day if I'm not with her every minute of every day." He smiled widely. "I'm not certain you would like that. Regardless, instead of condemning me, you should be thanking me."

"Thanking you?" Dan scoffed.

"Yes! The detective was not heading to Henry's little meet and greet with any intentions of calling for backup, or taking me, her partner. Had I not followed her to the warehouse, well, she would have been lying on the ground, in agony and drowning in the rain. Or worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"There would have been no one," he started, narrowing his eyes as he stepped towards Dan, "to prevent your pal Henry from permanently removing the detective from this plane of existence."

"Yeah," Dan breathed. "It's your carelessness that's going to get her killed." Lucifer turned to walk away.

"She's won't die," he said quietly.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I won't let her!" he yelled turning back towards Dan.

"Right," Dan scoffed. "Okay."

"Father cannot have her."

"I'm sorry; what does your father have to do with any of this?"

"Everything," he replied incredulously. "My father," he said, holding his hands to his chest. "God."

"God."

"Yes, God. Do you honestly believe that the detective would go anywhere besides Heaven? I mean, if she were meant for Hell, I'd return without a second thought." He slipped his hands into his pants pockets and smiled. "Every king needs a queen, does he not? Oh, wouldn't that make dear ol' Dad…" His smile sobered. "Happy." Lucifer turned his eyes upwards. "No. No, no, no. This is not how that is going to happen! If that truly is Your plan, well…" He laughed wickedly. "If it's war You want, then it's war You shall have."

"Okay. There will be no wars started in my hospital." Both men turned towards the curly-haired woman in the doorway. "I'm Doctor Griffin. Are you Chloe Decker's family?" she asked as she moved into the room.

"I am," Dan answered.

"Sort of," Lucifer added. "He's the douchie, soon-to-be ex-husband. Once the paperwork is filed." The doctor looked at Lucifer and raised a perfectly sculpted, dark eyebrow.

"And you are?"

"Lucifer Morningstar." He shook her hand and smiled. "I am Detective Decker's partner."

"Oh, so Detective Morningstar."

"Official Civilian Consultant to the LAPD…Morningstar."

"So not family," Dan started. Lucifer lifted his arm to the side and pushed Dan back a step as he moved himself forward. Dan took Lucifer's elbow and did the same. The doctor looked between the two men, clearly unamused over their cocky displays. She sighed loudly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Lucifer and Dan straightened their stances.

"Are you finished?" she asked.

"Yes," Lucifer answered.

"Yeah," Dan replied.

"Great. Now, Chloe Decker. She's a very lucky woman. No broken bones despite the impact of her attacker and her landing on the concrete. She does have a deep cut on her shoulder and a few others on her back that required stitches. Over the next few days, she will more than likely discover several cuts and scratches, but they shouldn't cause any worries." The doctor shoved her hands into the pockets of her white lab coat. "Mrs. Decker is pretty bruised. She'll be sore for a bit, but all in all, I think she'll be just fine. We are going to keep her overnight for observation, though; monitor for signs of a concussion."

"Can I see her?" Dan asked.

"We're moving her out of the ER and into a room," she explained. "Once she's settled you can see her."

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor Griffin." With a nod, the doctor turned and left the room. "You can leave now, too, Lucifer," he bit.

"I'm not going anywhere until I see the detective," he replied, turning towards Dan.

"There's no way I'm letting you anywhere near her," Dan said. "This is the second time she's landed in the hospital while working with you."

"I do not need your permission to see my partner."

"Lucifer!" The high-pitched squeak of the detectives' daughter wafted through the air, quickly putting space between man and devil, though neither broke their heated gaze. Lucifer braced against the slight impact he received as a short pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"Hello, child," he said softly, quietly.

"Sorry." A young, college-aged woman with curly black hair shrugged her shoulders as she entered the room. "She got away from me."

"It's all right, Julia," Dan started. "Thank you for bringing Trixie in."

"Julia?" Lucifer questioned. "Ah, yes," he started with a wide smile. "You're the babysitter."

"Yeah," she answered with a soft smile of her own.

"This," he started, pointing both index fingers at Trixie. "Never allow her to do this."

"Lucifer?" He looked down at the little girl. Her large brown eyes stared up at him, concern swimming across her innocent face. "Is my mom okay?"

"Your mother will be fine, little one." Though she nodded, he saw no relief in her features. "Perhaps…" He gingerly took her hands and put some distance between them. "The doctor said your mum can have visitors soon. Perhaps you and your father can find out what room she will be in." Trixie smiled and pulled her hands from Lucifer's loose grip to lunge forward and tightly hug him again.

"I can't believe this," Dan bit. Lucifer held back his uneasiness over the girl's proximity and pinned Dan with a pointed look.

"Now, now," he started quietly. "Let's not further upset the child." He took her hand and held it towards Dan. "Go," he said. "Go see your mother." Trixie took hold of her father's hand and they started towards the door.

"Lucifer, are you coming, too?" she asked.

"I will see her shortly," he answered. "I have…something to finish first." He watched farther and daughter leave the room, followed by the young babysitter, and then shivered when the trio was out of sight. "Oh, I hate children," he mumbled as he turned towards the middle of the empty room.

"Well, that one sure seems to like you."

"Maze," he greeted stiffly as he turned back to the doorway. His eyes slowly travelled down her leather-clad body as he slipped his hands into pockets. "Maze, Mazie-Maze. I am still incredibly pissed at you, but I must give credit where credit is due. You look positively radiant when you're all hot and bothered." He nodded his approval as she sauntered towards him.

"I have a surprise for you," she started, fingers tracing an upwards path around the buttons of his damp dress shirt.

"Ooh, I do love surprises," he cooed. "However, I am a tad bit busy at the moment." Maze slipped her fingers into the open collar of his shirt, snagging the button as she roughly pulled him towards her.

"You'll want to see this." She smiled as she lifted her chin. "Trust me."

Lucifer

"My, my, my, Mazikeen!" Lucifer smiled widely as he passed behind her, circling her as she stood at the back of wooden chair. "If I didn't know better, I would think I was celebrating a significant birthday." He continued to move slowly, rounding the front of the chair, his quiet footfalls echoing off the storage warehouse walls. "You have certainly outdone yourself," he said as he angrily eyed the man tied to the chair.

"I thought you'd like it," Maze smiled proudly.

"Like it?" He offered a loud, appreciative laugh as a deep, red glow swirled in his eyes. "I love it!" Completing the circle, he stopped in front of the man and quietly studied the dirty cloth bag that covered their captive's head. "But why, hmm?" He lifted his eyes to her. "What is your angle, Maze?"

"An apology," she offered quietly, her smile gone. "Keeping you safe also means keeping her safe. I don't understand why it has to be that way, but I understand that it just does." Lucifer laughed lightly and lifted his hand to her cheek.

"Maze," he said softly. "Apology accepted. Make no mistake," he started, this thumb brushing the side of her cheek, "I will not tolerate another crossing of the line." She nodded. Dropping his hand, he crouched and leaned his elbows on his knees, his chin over laced fingers. She dug her fingers into the cloth and roughly pulled the bag off the man's head. "Hello there, Mr. Lloyd." Lucifer smiled. "How nice to see you again." Henry whined behind the rag tightly cutting into his lips. "Maze, be a dear and untie the gag." She did as told and tossed both pieces of fabric to the floor.

"What the hell is this?" he asked as he struggled against the ropes biding his arms and legs to the chair.

"Oh just a little payback for hurting my friend." Lucifer released a content sigh. His eyes, suddenly red and on fire, rose to Maze as he let a wicked smile spread across his face. "What do you say, my little demon? Would you like to share?"

"No, no, no," Henry cried. He struggled again in vain effort to escape the ties. "Yea though I walk through the valley of death," he prayed between sobs, "I shall…I shall fear no evil."

"For I am the evilest son of a bitch in the valley," Lucifer finished. He tipped his head to the side and offered a low, quiet laugh as his human façade disappeared, melting into the red, monstrous face of the devil. The lights overhead flickered and the terrified screams of Henry Lloyd echoed throughout the warehouse.

Lucifer

Lucifer whistled quietly as he lazily wandered through the hospital hallway. Though morning had broken, and was well underway, the hospital seemed dark. Most of the rooms' doors remained closed; those that were open simply led to drawn blinds. The artificial, fluorescent lighting did nothing to promote an atmosphere of healing, and the silence that allowed patients to rest only served to add an eeriness that seemed more detrimental than beneficial. Even the worn and tired facial expressions of the doctors and nurses lent to the dreariness. He doubted there was any ebb and flow to the misery as there was in the rising and setting of the sun.

However, Lucifer was not about to let the trivialness of the mortal world spoil his good mood. He had felt quite satisfied after dealing with Henry Lloyd. He and Maze had given the man a rather large taste of what he would experience when his time on the earthly realm ran out, leaving the blubbering human in possession of just enough sanity to rethink the atrocities he had committed. Yet when the pleasant torture had become tiresome, Lucifer had given into a need to find a different type of comfort. A very late night phone call and a short drive later, he had found himself in the living room of Doctor Linda Martin.

"Why do you keep treating her like you treat everyone else?" Lucifer had left the good doctor's home after that question, certain his face showed every bit of his perplexion. Why was he treating the detective in such a manner? "Do something for her, something that shows her she is as different as you claim her to be." He had spent the remaining hours of the evening mulling over everything he could do to show Chloe she was indeed different. Even if he didn't know exactly what that meant. The epiphany had come just as dawn had drawn along the horizon, bringing him to the present moment as he adjusted his suitcoat, hanging heavier than normal over his right shoulder.

"Ah, there's my partner," Lucifer smiled as he entered Chloe's room. He draped his suitcoat over the arm of the guest chair. "All bright-eyed and…" Sighing heavily, he shoved his hands into his pockets as he took in her messy hair, the circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. "I'm sorry. I can't do it; I can't lie. You look like shit, Detective." Chloe offered a quiet laugh as she gingerly slid her legs off the edge of the mattress.

"Thanks, pal." He smiled and moved to stand in front of her. Gently, he placed his hands on her forearms and leaned in to press a soft kiss against her temple. He pulled back, releasing a breathy, almost shy laugh.

"You had me worried. Let's not play the whole rushing-into-a-bad-situation-without-backup game again, all right?" he scolded quietly.

"All right," she answered with a small nod. He cleared his throat and took a step backwards.

"Well, I came to break you out of this sterile hellhole, but the young blonde chap at the nurses' station tells me the doctor has already released you."

"Yeah. I'm just waiting to sign the discharge papers. And for, you know, clothes." She shrugged gently and motioned towards a clear plastic bag on the floor next to the small, wheeled table beside her bed. Lucifer eyed the large, blue letters reading "patient belongings" and frowned. "My shirt is in two pieces because they had to cut if off me. My jeans are practically shredded. And you don't even want to know what they did to my leather jacket." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Not to mention my wardrobe now comes with my very own collection of glass shards." Chloe lifted a finger. "And before you say anything, I'm not wearing this gown out of this room."

"Well, you're in luck, Detective." Lucifer returned to the guest chair and unfolded his jacket. "I happen to have the perfect thing." He turned back to her, holding up a blue dress shirt and a pair of black pajama pants. "Not the most stylish of outfits, but it'll do in a pinch."

"You…you brought me clothes?" she asked, gently, an appreciative softness to her voice.

"Of course," he answered with a rise of his eyebrow.

"Knock, knock. Hello, Chloe." An older nurse greeted the pair with a smile as she entered the room. "Ready to head home?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Okay. Here are your at-home instructions," she started, handing Chloe a few loose papers. Lucifer folded the clothes over his arms and joined the pair. He leaned the back of his hips against the edge of the mattress as he attempted to read the instructions over Chloe's shoulder. "As you know, the doctor stitched you up in three places on your back and one on the…" She pulled her glasses from the top of her head and settled them over the bridge of her nose as she looked through the papers attached to her clipboard. "One on the left shoulder. Change those bandages a couple times a day for the next for days. After that, no more bandages. But do keep them covered as best as you can when you shower." Chloe nodded. "You showed no signs of concussion, but if at any point you start to feel light-headed or dizzy, or if you're nauseated, come in right away." She gave Chloe a smaller piece of paper. "Here are your prescriptions."

"Oh, Detective, if I may?" he asked simply for show as she snatched the paper from her hands before she had an opportunity to answer.

"Muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatory, painkiller," the nurse continued. "Take one of each every eight hours." She flipped through her charts again. "Looks like the last dose of painkiller was given to you around two o'clock this morning." She lifted her wrist and looked at her watch. "It's nearly nine, so you'll have just enough time to go home and get settled before taking your next dose." Folding her arms around the clipboard and holding it against her chest, she peered over the top of her glasses at Chloe. "You're going to be sore and may have some trouble moving around and lifting things. Do you have someone that can stay with you for the next couple of days?"

"She most certainly does," Lucifer piped in, a large smile of his face.

"Lucifer—"

"Wonderful," the nurse interrupted with a smile. "Any questions otherwise?" Chloe shook her head. "All right. Sign here." Chloe took the proffered pen and scribbled her name at the bottom of the paper on the clipboard. "Thank you. Once you clothing arrives you are free to go." Chloe waited until the woman was out of the room before turning her attention to Lucifer.

"I don't need you to help me. I'll be fine," she said.

"Of course you will. But in all seriousness, Detective, why don't you stay with me?" he suggested.

"No," she stated with a firm shake of her head. "It's not necessary, Lucifer. Not a good idea."

"Well why not?" She sighed softly.

"I'm not staying with you."

"All right. Then it's settled." He clasped his hands and smiled. "I shall pack my bags and stay with you."

"What? No. No, Lucifer."

"It will be wonderful, Detective. We can stay up late and watch scary movies. Have pillow fights," he suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"Lucifer!" squeaked a high voice.

"Ugh." He rolled his eyes and shook his head as Trixie bounced into the room and wrapped herself around him. "Please tell me at some point, and hopefully soon, that she will stop doing this." He motioned downwards towards the child as he turned a pleading gaze towards Chloe.

"Sorry," she answered with a smile and a gentle shake of her head. "She's a hugger." He offered a forced smile.

"How special." At her mother's call, Trixie released Lucifer and hopped onto the bed. Lucifer turned towards the man and the woman in the doorway. "Detective Douche," he greeted. "Not a pleasure, as always. Hello, Julia."

"It's nice to see you, too, Lucifer," Dan started. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to take the detective home. What are you doing here?"

"Lucifer, stop," Chloe ordered gently. "Did you bring my clothes?" she asked Dan.

"No, I forgot to swing by your mom's place," he answered as he moved into the room. She hummed and nodded slowly.

"You couldn't bring me any clothes but you could bring the babysitter?" She motioned towards the woman still standing by the door.

"I promised Trixie she could see you this morning," he started. "You weren't exactly coherent when we were here last night. Julia is here to take Trixie to school and then to stay with you until I'm done with work tonight."

"I don't need either one of you to help me," Chloe bit.

"Yes, you do."

"Trixie?" Julia called as the little girl covered her ears. "Why don't we go to the cafeteria and find some snacks while your mom gets ready to go?"

"Okay." Trixie planted her hands on the mattress and leaned forward to place a kiss on Chloe's cheek.

"See you in a few, Munchkin."

"Bye, Mommy." She slid off the bed and waved as she passed the devil. "Bye, Lucifer."

"Yes, good-bye, child."

"Are you coming, too, Daddy?"

"I'll be right behind you." He turned, watching the two leave the room.

"You don't need to stay here," Chloe began.

"What the hell was that?" he bit as he turned back to her. "Why do you have such an attitude when Julia is around?"

"You know why." She shook her head. "Clothes, Dan. All I needed was for you to bring me some clothes. And you forgot. You forgot one thing for me, but had no trouble going out of your way to bring Julia."

"Julia is here to help you, Chloe."

"I'm not doing this with Lucifer in the room."

"Then leave, Dan, because Lucifer isn't going anywhere." The devil turned a wide smile to the male detective.

"Why is he even here?" Dan asked angrily. "You called me to get you. Or did you call both of us?"

"Detective Decker didn't call me," Lucifer started, taking a step forward. "She didn't need to."

"So you just…showed up."

"The doctor said she was keeping the detective overnight for observation. Was I wrong to assume she'd be released today?" he asked looking between Chloe and Dan. "No, I was not. So, yes, I just showed up. To help Detective Decker get home."

"You need to back off, Lucifer," Dan started, "and get out of my face."

"I'm not in your face," he returned as he settled the clothes on the bed next to Chloe. "I'm simply here to see my partner safely home."

"Yeah. Are you going to stay with her, too?"

"Of course. Detective Decker is in no condition to—"

"What are you thinking?" Dan asked as he stepped closer. "Going to take advantage of an injured woman?"

"Guys," Chloe interrupted.

"I would never do such a thing."

"I can't really say I believe that, Lucifer." Dan shook his head. "She doesn't need you. Julia is going to take care of her and when I'm done with work, I'm going to take care of her."

"I don't need your help, Dan."

"Yes, you do, Chloe."

"No, I don't!" She carefully pushed herself off the bed and reached for Lucifer's arm to steady her balance. "I need you to take care of Trixie for a few days."

"I'm working, Chloe."

"Then Julia can watch her. At your apartment," she added. "I don't want to see either one of you."

"There's no reason I can't stay with—"

"No," Chloe said firmly. "Leave me alone, Dan. Lucifer," she started turning away from Dan, "take me home."

Lucifer

"It really isn't that big of a deal, Detective," Lucifer started as he settled the legs of the pullout bed on the floor.

"Yes, Lucifer, it really is." He straightened his posture and tipped his head as he regarded her.

"Why? It's not as though I haven't already seen, well, everything." He smiled. "And multiple times at that." Bending forward, he picked up a folded blanket from the floor. "Hmm, I really like that movie," he commented as he shook out the blanket and smoothed it over the mattress. "Also not forgetting your little display the other morning whilst I was making you breakfast." Chloe watched as Lucifer retrieved both pillows from the floor, fluffed each in turn and set them in the appropriate places on the bed. "Sit," he instructed, turning his attention to her. "And take off your shirt." She rolled her eyes and turned away with a stiff movement. "Detective," he said, taking a few steps towards her, "you won't be able to change the bandages yourself. Let me help you." She bit at the inside of her cheek and turned around.

"You're right. But let me make this perfectly clear," she started, slowly making towards him. "This is not one of those favor deals that you make. Understand?"

"Of course, Darling," he agreed. "Making this a favor would be, well…" He slipped his hands into his pockets. "It would be rather rude of me, wouldn't it? No, I would never do that. Now, sit." Lucifer took a few steps forward and stretched his arms towards her. She hesitantly took his hand, accepted the steadying arm around her waist, using him for balance as she covered the final distance to the mattress. "First aid kit?"

"Under the kitchen sink." After collecting the kit, Lucifer sat behind Chloe, patiently digging through the box for clean supplies as she unbuttoned the shirt he had loaned her.

"Allow me," he said when she struggled to slip the shirt over her shoulders. One arm at a time, he helped her maneuver through the fabric. Keeping his hands in front of her, he held up the shirt and turned it around. Gingerly, she slipped her hands into the armholes. He pulled the shirt to her body and carefully secured the top button just under her hairline. "See?" He gathered her hair and draped it over her shoulder. "Sometimes the devil can be a gentleman."

"Thank you for saving some of my dignity," she said with a smile. He hummed his response as he parted the shirt to see her back clearly. His fingers started to play nimbly over the line of gauze on the right side of her back.

"Relax," he soothed. "A few scratches, quite a few sore muscles…" He chuckled quietly. "Honestly, Darling, it is no different than what you would experience after a night with me." Chloe dropped her head as far as her body would allow and sighed.

"This is going to be the longest night ever," she mumbled.

"How did you manage to make this bleed again?"

"Getting out of the car," she answered. "I moved too quickly."

"Ah. Well, now you know better."

"Sure do."

"And you took your pain meds?" he asked as he carefully pulled the tape from her skin.

"Yes," she replied.

"Perfect. When I'm finished here, you can settle in for a nap."

"Lucifer, I'm not taking a nap."

"The doctor didn't prescribe the best of medication," he started, slowly peeling the second line of tape from her skin, "but what he did give you should put you out. Like it or not." He placed the dirtied gauze and the pieces of tape on the lid of the first-aid kit.

"That didn't happen in the hospital."

"Considering they were monitoring you for signs of a concussion, they probably didn't give you more than the anti-inflammatory, and maybe a touch of the pain killer."

"Oh." They sat in silence for the next few minutes as Lucifer checked the other bandages. Chloe closed her eyes and concentrated on the warmth of his fingers, feeling a bit of relief under the sensation.

"The rest look fine," he said quietly. She heard the rip of paper then felt a cold wetness against her skin. "Sorry," he chuckled as she jumped. "Just cleaning up the blood." He placed the used wipe and its wrapper next to the used gauze and picked up a clean strip. "Almost set." He tore two lengths of tape off the roll, gently placed the gauze over the stitches and pressed the tape along the edges. "There. All done."

"Why?" Chloe asked as Lucifer started to button the shirt.

"Why what, Love?"

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Shouldn't I be?"

"I wasn't very nice to you…last night." She carefully shifted so she could face him.

"I was not very nice to you," he returned as he gathered the used supplies in one hand. "It was just an argument, a bit of a squabble. Sometimes, Detective," he said as he closed the first-aid box, "shit happens." Chloe laughed softly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"As am I." He smiled softly and stood. She watched as he threw away the bandages and tape, and returned the first-aid kit to the space under the sink. "Come," he started as he returned to her. "Lie down." He pulled back the blankets.

"I don't know if…" Lucifer released the blankets and carefully guided her through pained movements towards the middle of the mattress. "This is ridiculous," she muttered as she gingerly turned to rest on her right side. "It shouldn't hurt this much." He chuckled gently as he draped the blankets over her body.

"Right, because it's not as though you were sandwiched against a concrete wall or thrown through a window," Lucifer said as he rounded the foot of the pullout bed. Too tired and sore to protest the proximity as he settled behind her, she let him curl the warmth of his body around her. Leaning against his chest, she closed her eyes and sighed contently as the pressure on her back seemed to vanish immediately. "Better?" he asked quietly near her ear.

"Much better," she answered. Lucifer watched the small smile fall from her face as she stopped her internal struggling and gave in to her exhaustion. He traced a finger along the back of her hand, brushed the errant strands of hair from her face. The moment, holding the detective, being, seemingly, a source of her comfort, felt odd in a way. Not unpleasant, he thought; the sensations he experienced as he embraced her were rather agreeable. Just not…definable.

Undefinable yet worth exploring.

Lucifer shifted slightly and settled his head on the pillow. Worth exploring though not at the moment. There were other things, more important things where the detective was concerned, that needed his attention. Resting his forehead against the back of Chloe's head, he sighed gently and closed his eyes.

Lucifer

"What the hell is going on?" Lucifer lazily opened his eyes, his dark orbs immediately meeting the angry blue eyes of Dan Espinoza. The devil released a long, very irritated breath.

"You better have a very good reason for interrupting the most wonderful dream I was having."

"See? I was right," he bit. "Here you are, taking advantage of an injured woman."

"Shh," Lucifer hushed, placing a hand over Chloe's ear. "She needs her rest."

"And you need to be in the bed with her why?"

"Support, Detective Douche." He pushed himself into a sitting position. "Someone should be here for her."

"I am here for her."

"Right. Quick pop-over on your lunch break?"

"And Julia is, too."

"No, you are running around the city being a douchie detective and Julia…" He looked around the room. "Well, I don't see her here, either."

"I could be here, but with you around, Chloe doesn't seem to want me around."

"Can you blame her? I mean, you were rather less than helpful at the hospital. And that whole debacle," he tsked. "Picking a fight with your wife's partner. Well…" Lucifer let a slow smile spread across his face. "She isn't your wife, is she?"

"And you are not her partner," Dan spat. Lucifer placed a finger over his lips and hushed. "You are not her partner," he repeated, his voice quieter. "You somehow managed to slither yourself into the lieutenant's good graces. And for what? What is it that you want?" Lucifer sighed and carefully slid off the mattress.

"I'm really getting tired of explaining myself to you," he said as he stood. "And I shall do so no longer. Now, Chloe asked you to leave her alone."

"I just want to know that she's—"

"And she asked you to watch over the offspring. Speaking of…" Lucifer looked around again as he moved towards Dan. "Where is the child, hmm? If she's not here under your care…" A slow smile spread across his face. "Ah. It's Julia, isn't it? The babysitter."

"Trixie is still in school, Lucifer."

"No." He shook his head and stepped closer. "Julia is the reason you and my beautiful detective are on the outs, isn't she?"

"That's none of your business, Morningstar."

"Isn't it?" He laughed lightly. "I am, after all, the devil, the punisher of indiscretions. Tell me now, tell me later," he shrugged as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants. "One way or another, I will know the truth. And you, dear Daniel, shall be punished accordingly."

"You're a special kind of crazy, aren't you?"

"Dan?" Chloe rubbed a hand over her tired eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Chloe, I was just—"

"Leaving," Lucifer loudly interrupted. "Detective Douche was just leaving." His eyes stayed trained on the male detective, unwavering, unblinking. "And I do believe you can show yourself out." Dan shifted his attention to Chloe, watching as she closed her eyes and rolled onto her stomach to sink into the pillows again. He sighed with annoyance and moved to the door. His fingers closed around the knob and he dropped his head slightly.

"Yeah, I cut out for lunch and headed here to see how Chloe was doing," he said quietly. "But I have other news, too." He turned towards Lucifer. "Henry Lloyd showed up at the station just after I got there this morning. He confessed to the murders."

"Did he now?" Dan nodded.

"Mm-hmm. Said he killed Katrina, and, uh, shot Manny last night when you and Chloe were…" He ran a hand over the back of his neck. "He implicated his mistress Gwen Tanner in the murders of Maggie and Officer Johnson. We have a…a BOLO out for Miss Tanner. Henry told her he was going to turn himself in, told her to do the same but…" He took a deep breath. "She was really angry and I'm concerned she might go after Chloe."

"Say no more on the matter," Lucifer said with a nod. "I have just the place to keep the detective protected."

"Whatever you're cooking up isn't needed," Dan said with a shake of his head. "I've had cars patrolling the neighborhood all morning. There's an unmarked next door."

"With all of the corruption you suspect, and that you know of, do you really think you can trust the officers you've sent to guard the mother of your child?" Lucifer pressed. "I didn't think so," he said when Dan remained silent. "There's more, though, isn't there? Out with the rest."

"Henry also mentioned the journal, the one the two of you were trying to get."

"Ah, yes, the infamous journal."

"Look, Lucifer." Dan stepped forward and lowered his voice. "Henry said Katrina was going to take that journal to the police, that it has information on the crooked cops in the precinct. Henry's been giving us everything we've asked for, names, dates…everything that has been going down. But there's so much information that Henry can't recall it all with absolute certainty. We need that journal."

"Yes." Lucifer stepped closer to Dan and lowered his voice. "The detective and I tried to retrieve it, yet no one seemed keen on that idea. You and Lieutenant Olivia being the biggest of our obstacles."

"It's a delicate matter, Lucifer. You know that."

"I do. I…appreciate that you're trying to do the right thing, Detective," he said, tipping his chin upwards. "But you have a ridiculous way of going about it. Unlike you, I am not willing to stand by and wait for the answers to fall into my lap. So please, ask your question," he said with a smile.

"Chloe says you have a way with…with suspects; that you can get them to…talk…when others can't."

"Come on now; don't be shy. Ask." Lucifer gently rocked back on his heels as he patiently waited.

"When we…when we find Gwen Tanner, would you talk to her? Would you see if you can find out where she's hidden the journal?"

"And what do I get in return?" he asked.

"Really?"

"Really. Or would you prefer an IOU?" Lucifer laughed lowly. "One I may call in at any point, for anything."

"Whatever." Dan shook his head. "I got this far without you, and I'll finish this without you." He turned and opened the door, not bothering to close it as he crossed the threshold.

"Lucifer?" The devil stepped forward and quietly closed and locked the door before turning to face Chloe.

"Yes, my dear?"

"What did Dan want?"

"Just a check-up, Love." He approached and took a seat on the edge of the mattress.

"Like he's actually concerned," she scoffed as she ran a hand over her face.

"He truly is," he replied with sincerity. "He may have a strange way of showing it, but he does care."

"That doesn't make him any less of a douche, does it though?" Chloe smiled weakly.

"I suppose not." She tried to push herself into a sitting position and winced as her muscles screamed at the movement. "Detective," he scolded gently. His arms circled her, helping to keep her steady as she settled her hands on his shoulders and sat up. "This cannot be doing any favors for you back," he noted. "I mean, this mattress…well, let's just say there are torture devices in Hell more comfortable than this," he smiled. "If you were to stay at my penthouse, I could guarantee you a much better night's sleep." She cautiously eyes him, wary of the smirk on his face.

"You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting? Are you?"

"Are you?" he countered, eyebrow raised. "I must say, I'm thrilled that you're thinking about it and as I've said before, it is always on the table. Though maybe we should wait to engage in such activities until you're a little more…limber."

"Lucifer, if I could hit you right now, I would." He laughed gently.

"I am simply offering far better accommodations. And a place free of interruptions."

"You mean free of Dan."

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to," he stated with exaggerated pronunciation. "You'll need something to wear, I assume. As much as I would not mind you prancing around my loft without a stitch of clothing, I'm certain that's not an option."

"No, it's not."

"And your clothes are…"

"Upstairs," she answered around a hand-covered yawn. "In the spare room." A slow rumble of laughter started low in his chest and Chloe closed her eyes, cursing inwardly.

"Perfect," he purred.

"Lucifer, no." He lifted his arms, drawing himself out of her limited reach, and stood up.

"Be right back, Love."

"Lucifer!" she yelled as he took the steps two at a time. "Damn it."