/ / /
"Lucifer?"
Lucifer looked around him before it occurred to him that the source was not average height. "Yes, Beatrice?"
The little human had managed to sneak up on him, and was watching him curiously. Well, no. She looked at the knife in his hand curiously.
"Are you going to cook something?"
"Are you hungry?"
"No, Mom made me breakfast before we came over."
"Then why are you in the kitchen?"
"I wanted something to drink."
Lucifer blinked. "Alright. I'll get you something. Juice?"
"Sure." Beatrice beamed, hopping onto one of the island stools.
Setting the knife down for a brief moment, Lucifer grabbed a drink and swiftly poured Beatrice a drink. Lucifer slid the glass across the counter instead of simply placing it in front of the child. It stopped before her, and Beatrice giggled with delight.
"Well, I do own a drinking establishment." Lucifer said.
"That's so cool. Thanks, Lucifer."
Nodding at his love's offspring, Lucifer moved to pick up the knife when he was questioned again.
"Where did you go?"
"I presume you are referring to my previous absence these last few months?"
"Yep." Beatrice chirped, taking a slurp of her drink.
"Well, I had to go take care of some...family business. I'm sure your Mother told you as much?"
"Sure. I just thought there might be something else."
"Like what, child?" Lucifer asked, moving to sit with her.
She shrugged. "It just seemed like you and my Mom like each other, and then you left."
"You thought I left because of your Mother?"
Beatrice stayed silent, opting to polish off her drink instead.
"Beatrice." Lucifer began, before pausing. While loving Chloe easily equated to Lucifer a necessity to care and protect her young (even if its Father was a douche), his experience with small humans was limited. The kind who ended up in Hell were not the type of company one likes to keep. However this child was good, and in her was the essence of his mate. It really shouldn't be so difficult to comfort.
"Your fears are irrational."
She frowned - perhaps that had not been as comforting as intended. "As long as it is within my power, I will never leave your Mother's side again. Or, by default, yours. My previous absence was beyond my control - a family matter had come up which needed my attention. Have no doubt, however, that I wished to be anywhere but here."
"With my Mom?"
Lucifer grinned over the top of Beatrice's head at her Mother, who had obviously been listening for a while. Chloe lounged in the doorway, smiling back before blowing him a kiss.
Minx.
"With your Mum, yes."
"So you're together now?"
"Yes."
Trixie squealed and clapped her hands together. "I knew it. I knew she liked you."
Chloe moved forward, pulling the hair away from her daughters neck so she could press a kiss at its nape which drew another delighted shriek from the girl. "Sweetheart, I thought I told you to do your homework?"
"Lucifer said I could watch TV."
"You should listen to your Mother, Beatrice." Lucifer said, standing up and moving back over to the knife. "She has some clever ideas. Sometimes."
Quickly sticking her tongue out from behind Beatrice, Chloe pulled her daughter backwards off her seat and deposited her on her feet.
"So, is Lucifer going to be my Dad too?"
Lucifer, who had been about to pass comment about his love's childish behaviour, instead found himself choking on air. Ever since he watched The Exorcist, the subject of the Devil fathering children had become an even more terrifying notion than it had been during his previous centuries of existence.
"Whole can of worms for another day, babe." Chloe said.
"Do I still have to go do homework?"
Chloe pursed her lips, pretending to think. "One movie. Then you're doing your math - understood?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Okay. Off you go, monkey."
Beatrice scampered off, leaving a still white Lucifer and a smirking detective.
"Wow, Lucifer. You managed to go a whole conversation without trying to make Trixie play fetch. I'm impressed."
"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet." Lucifer said smugly, shooting Chloe a wink as he added, "Plato. Nice chap."
"Show off."
"You love it." He responded confidently, as Chloe sidled up to him. They both glanced at the knife on the counter.
"I better make sure Trixie's distracted before you change. I have a feeling she's going to be asking enough questions already."
"About weddings and baby brothers?"
"Most likely. But whisper would you, we don't want to give her any ideas."
"I'm guessing you've seen Rosemary's Baby too?"
Chloe laughed. "Well, let's not try to find out what's fact and what's fiction anytime soon okay."
"Kitten, I'm happy never knowing the answer to that question. Hollywood made sure of that."
Chloe snorted inelegantly as she left for the TV room.
He moved to pick up the knife, tossing it high in the air despite a lack of audience to show off to. His burnt flesh clenched round the blade as he caught it. Not so much as a scratch.
"Well. Isn't that interesting."
Chloe padded back through. "Trixie's got Finding Dory on - why do you even have that movie?"
"Linda said it'd teach me something about... who cares. Look at this, love." Lucifer grinned, baring his blackened teeth as he stretched out his hand.
"What happened to waiting until I was sure Trixie was distracted?"
"Curiosity got the better of me."
"It didn't cut you?" Chloe asked, her lips tilting upwards in a hopeful smile.
"No."
She started forward until she was beside him. "Still nothing?"
"Immortality intact."
"Well that'll level the playing field just a bit."
"Indeed." Lucifer chuckled, shifting back into his human form and gasping as the knife finally cut through his mortal skin.
"Careful." Chloe immediately chastised, pulling the knife away and swiftly wrapping the wound in a dishcloth. "So. What's the plan?"
"We find out where my Mother has taken Mazikeen, then we pull out the double whammy."
"Double whammy?"
"Yes." He answered excitedly. "The two of us come together, Mother thinks I'm mortal in your presence. Then I transform, knock her on her ass. And when she tries to fight back you reveal your inhuman strength."
"I wasn't asking what the plan is, Lucifer - I was just questioning your word choices."
"Cold, detective."
Smirking, Lucifer bent down to press a kiss to Chloe's lips before moving aside the cloth to inspect his wound.
"Actually, that's something I want to talk to you about."
"My word choices?" Lucifer frowned, still gauging the depth of his cut. It would be fine, he'd just have to put some space between himself and his love and it would heal right up. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can manage to watch the language around Beatrice."
"No not that. Work."
"What of it?"
"Well. Since I started remembering, I got this vague sense that after you first left I was planning to quit."
"Are you sure that wasn't an implanted memory - it seems rather unlike you."
"No, all the fake memories were about staying in the force and getting back together with Dan." Chloe said, chuckling when Lucifer literally shuddered at the thought.
"How ghastly."
"I think I was up here, actually. I seem to remember looking at paint charts for Trixie's room."
"You were moving in?"
"I think I was already here. Only for a little while, until Uriel came."
"Slimy bastard."
"And since I started remembering, I think it might be the right thing to do."
Lucifer wrapped his wound again before letting his hand drop to his side. "Why?"
"I'm meant to be at work tomorrow, Lucifer. You know, when your time will be up and Uriel will try to kill me?"
"That won't happen."
"I know. But I've chosen to be with you. And immortal fights aren't really compatible with a nine to five job. Besides. After Palmetto, it hasn't been a good place for me."
"We could still try. I can get Monroe to reinstate me."
"I love working with you, Lucifer. Before you left it was because of you that I was still enjoying my job." Chloe looked around at the kitchen, before picking up Lucifer's bleeding hand. "I think as long as you're there with me, I don't care what we do. But I do know my place isn't at the precinct anymore." She pulled up his hand and pressed a kiss to the flesh under his thumb, avoiding the cut that marred most of his palm.
"What about when this is all over?"
"I don't think any of this will ever be over, Lucifer."
Lucifer surveyed the creature in front of him. The woman who loved humanity's embodiment of evil. The woman who was willing to put her life at risk for him - not to mention her soul.
"When I got back, and realised your mind had been altered. I came back up here and I remember expecting everything to be different. For your presence to still be here, because I thought this was now your home.
"Then I found everything the same. I hated it. I wanted, not just you - though of course I wanted you to remember more than life - but I wanted your presence with me always. To have a part of you in my home."
Chloe smiled. "Lucifer. Is this you asking me to move in?"
"Well if that's what you wanted me to ask, I guess I'd be fine with that." Lucifer grinned back.
"Sap."
"Only for you."
"You know having me here means Trixie too. And a lot more of her without Dan to split custody." Chloe pointed out, trying to be serious.
"I understand that."
"Are you sure? Because I know children aren't your thing..."
"The children that I have known throughout my existence are the sort of creatures you want to keep a sufficient distance from. Having one of them ensnare your legs is not something to wish upon an enemy, let alone oneself. Beatrice, on the other hand. She's happy, and good. Like her Mother. Thankfully any trace of Detective Douche seems to have been diminished by your good influence."
Chloe elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow, still mortal here. What I'm saying is. It will be an adjustment, but I can learn."
Beaming up at him, Chloe kissed his hand again. "A nightclub is not the best place to raise a kid you know, Lucifer."
"I'll block off the club entrance. You can't hear anything up here, and she can just come in through the private entrance at the back."
"You seem to have thought this through."
"I had plenty of time on my hands."
Something twinkled in Chloe's eyes. "How long did you say we have until my time's up?"
"Your time won't be up, because Uriel is not laying a hand on you."
"Answer the question, Lucifer."
"Nineteen hours."
"That movie's pretty loud."
"Surround sound."
"It'll last at least another hour. Any suggestions for how we pass the time?"
Finally catching on, Lucifer tore the cloth from his hand. "More than I could count." Surging forward, he scooped Chloe up in a fireman's lift and ran out the kitchen.
/ / /
After I watched Grimm I felt that the crime drama just didn't work with the supernatural, and that the murder mysteries just got in the way of what could have been really interesting material. So I kinda wanted to drop that part of the show in my story. Plus, while I love watching and reading murder mysteries, I'm no good at writing them.I am working way more days this week then I should be, and my relatives are visiting from the States so I probably won't update until next week at the earliest. Thank you for all your patience - life is so blargh.
As always, please review! It's always nice to hear from you all 3