Song for this chapter is Black Lab's This Night.

Linda's nickname for Lucifer was inspired by the last episode when she entered "Dr Canaan's" office and found Lucifer on the couch and proclaimed "Luc…ifer?"

Chapter 10 – A soul's dark night | part I

Chloe did not call Lucifer that day when another body turned up in a local park - there were no signs of devil worship. He needed to rest and the last thing he needed was another bout of hellfire and hellhounds. There were no reports of strange dogs and unearthly howls so she hoped the last of the escaped souls had been dispatched back by the hell hounds and everything was back to being as normal as possible.

He had fallen asleep by the time she left. Even though she had practically interrogated Maze and Amenadiel to try and find out why they had all been so upset she received no answers. Amenadiel still looked shaken, and Maze just glared.

She called a few hours later to check up on him and Amenadiel answered and told her Lucifer had gone downstairs to Lux with Maze – something about setting up for an event. She made the decision to leave him alone until the next day. Lucifer had Maze and Amenadiel – he was well taken care of and she needed to spend a fun long overdue evening at the movies with Trixie.

When Lucifer came back into the penthouse Amenadiel came and stood directly in front of him. "We have to talk about this – we can't just ignore it."

"I'm sure she will come to us…there is nothing we need to do but wait." Lucifer stated.

"In the meantime she is out there murdering humans!" Amenadiel said forcefully.

"We don't know that for sure. Remember others escaped hell as well." Lucifer reminded him.

His brother nodded. "Don't you think the missing children situation points directly to her?"

"You of all people I would have thought would defend her. You were after all her favorite, she treated you with … honesty." Lucifer growled.

Amenadiel swallowed heavily as if trying to get rid of an obstruction in his throat. "I can't defend her after the things she did. Luci, I wish with all my heart things hadn't happened the way they did but she's volatile…you know that…in some ways you take after her - are a lot like her - a lot more than I am. Therefore you must be able to understand her better. What would she do?"

"Oh you think I'm like her? Why because I'm the devil and have the most deplorable reputation in heaven, earth and hell? How dare you compare me to her!" His voice shook with passion and outrage.

"Luci, what did she really do to you?" His brother asked as he reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Piss off!" He pushed Amenadiel away but his brother didn't let go of his arm. "LET GO!" he shouted as his eyes flashed red and Amenadiel suddenly cried out and fell to the floor.

"Lucifer!" Maze threw a pitcher of cold water at her boss.

He gasped and fell back glaring at Maze. "How dare you come to the defense of an angel. You exist to protect ME!" He whirled and headed to the elevator.

"You are out of control. We don't hurt each other!" Maze glowered itching to throw a demon dagger at him as he disappeared into the elevator. Shocked she dropped down to the floor to a shaken Amenadiel.

After having received a plea from Lucifer, for an evening session on a Friday night, Linda hurried back to her office. She wouldn't have done it for everyone but he was special to her and he worried her having caused her sleepless nights wondering how to best help him – the man who believed himself to be the devil.

She found Lucifer on the floor leaning back against her door with his eyes closed. "Lucifer?' She crouched down beside him.

He opened his eyes. The tortured look on his face tore a hole in her heart. "What happened?"

He opened his mouth but then shook his head staring stormily in front of him.

"Come on let's get you inside." She took his hand and helped him to his feet.

Wordlessly he entered her office and sat on the couch. "I, I…maybe I shouldn't have come." He said quietly avoiding eye contact.

Linda sat down on a chair across from him. "Okay, but why did you call me? You sounded very stressed," she asked gently. His dark eyes lifted to meet hers. This quiet subdued Lucifer worried her. After all the progress they had made it looked like he was back to suppressing his feelings.

He exhaled loudly. "I don't know."

"It's okay, take your time. Something is causing you a lot of anxiety. Is it Chloe?" She poked.

He shook his head, as a wave of nausea coursed through him. He suddenly got up and started pacing. "Someone from my past, may be in town," he stated in an emotionless voice.

"I see. What was this person to you? Were they important, was it someone you loved?"

He didn't answer. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his breathing became rapid. The disappearance of the children, the lily in his kitchen, the escapees from hell all rushed through his mind. A wave of dizziness seemed to block out his hearing and then everything just went black.

"Lucifer?" He awoke to Linda gently slapping his face. "Oh good there you are. I was about to call an ambulance. How are you feeling?" He realized she was holding his wrist and checking his pulse as he lay on the floor.

He sat up slowly and groaned. "Sorry about that. I don't usually drop at a woman's feet … usually the other way around," he joked.

"Just take it easy. You had a panic attack. This person who may be in town – do you associate them with things that cause you anxiety?'

He nodded. "Damn right I do."

"An ex lover perhaps?"

His breathing escalated again and he looked at her with narrowed piercing eyes. He was angry.

"Does that look signify a yes or a no?" She asked pointedly trying to draw him into talking.

He looked away and spoke in clipped tones. "I don't want to talk about it."

She took a moment to breathe, he was very frustrating at times but she knew she needed to be very patient with him or he'd get too rattled and bolt out the door. "Then what would you like to talk about? Why did you call me?" She asked softly.

He stared angrily in front of him, eyes narrowed, body tense. "This was a bad idea."

He struggled to get up but she put her hand on his chest. "Luce, it's okay you don't have to talk just sit here for awhile. Let your heart rate go back to normal…let the anxiety ease. Please."

He looked at her surprised. "You haven't called me that since we stopped having sex."

She smiled then laughed softly. "It didn't seem appropriate to continue to call you a name I used to scream out."

He chuckled and she could see his body relax a little. "I kind of liked it when you called me that."

She relaxed leaning back against the coffee table. They had always had an easy kind of rapport in the bed and now it felt like it had made it past that.

"Do you trust me?' she asked him quietly.

He fidgeted with the hem of his Armani.

"Honestly Linda, I don't know." He looked at her.

She nodded. "I understand. You have a hard time trusting anyone. Don't you?'

He shrugged. "There has been a lot of betrayal in my past."

"Your father?'

He nodded.

"Your brother?'

He snorted.

"Maze?'

""Yup you nailed them."

"What about your mother – you've never talked about her? Did she betray you as well?"

The change in his body language was instant. She could practically see every muscle tighten. His lips parted slightly, his eyes grew wide and luminous and she could see his breathing speed up again. There was trauma there – something that upset him. However she didn't push – she could sense he was on the edge and she didn't want to send him over.

She put her hands up in a stop motion. "Okay, I can see the answer in your eyes, let's save that discussion for another time. How have you been sleeping lately?"

His voice was rough as he answered. "Fine for the most part." He told her what had happened with the hellfire, his fever and the hospital, he left out what had happened with Amenadiel – he already regretted his loss of control.

It was obvious he was once again using the devil analogy. "My goodness you've had a full couple of days no wonder your anxiety is up. When did you find out about this person from your past possibly being in town?"

He swallowed heavily. "This morning."

"What was your first reaction?" She probed gently.

He didn't answer for a moment then responded in a strained voice. "Fear."

The one word spoken so ominously by a man who was never afraid of anything worried her. She knew he needed to talk about it but she also knew he was exhausted suffering from high levels of stress.

"Can you tell me why?"

He drew his knees up to his chest wrapping his arms around them. He whispered. "It's a long story."

"If you trust me enough to share it – I have all night and tomorrow as well."

Next chapter: more dark and angsty, a breakthrough, and yes you finally get to meet my version of 'mum'. I'd love to hear what you think, reviews tickle the muse and...the next chapter is almost finished. YAY Lucifer season two starts filming on Midsummer's Eve.