A/N:Just in case, be sure you have not missed Chapter 18, published not long ago (for once!).

Chloe wants badly to get answers from Lucifer. She will.

.

Chapter 19: And nothing but the truth

.

Tell me at last what is your desire, Chloe Jane Decker?

CHLOE

She frowned and sighed, with a slight pout. Even the line of her shoulders gave it away: he had disappointed her again. Why his frankness was still having this upshot on her? She should have known. This was the way he was. Take him or leave him.

Her tone was somewhat aggressive when she answered, crossed, like were her arms. "Oh, I have so many. Since you ask me about it, my desire is for you to trust me enough to explain what happened with your sister. My desire is you tell me the truth about your family. My desire is you actually do what you promised one day on my answering machine... That's what I desire."

He froze and gulped, suddenly more uncomfortable. In a brief feeling of victory, she knew she had cornered him. "I... I've never lied to you about my family."

"But you have secrets. Things you don't want me to know about you. If you were inclined to tell me the whole story, I could ask Dan to pick up Trixie... But I can't miss Tuesday Tacos, though."

She never invited him at home formally to share a meal. Very often lately, she had truly wanted to, but thought he would refuse, claiming it was boring. She could already guess what he would say. "You, me and the urchin? Not the kind of threesome I could wish for."

For now, his jaw was clenched and in his eye a darker emotion was dancing. With an open gesture of his arm, he showed her the large orange leather couch nearby. "The whole story could be a bit long, Detective, maybe you'd like to have a seat?"

"So, you do agree?"

"Fire your questions and I'll try to answer them my best."

She didn't budge. "But you don't like it, right? You don't want to share this with me?"

"Of course, I don't want to!"

Chloe blinked, unsure about what she could feel, do or say... His honest retaliation vexed her. She straightened up, knowing she had to work with his confession. Take him or leave him. Some parts of his past were not for her. That was it. With a deep sorrow because she had failed, she took his hand – where the ring with the black gemstone had returned. He let her do and they both sat gingerly. In the wink of an eye, the whole mood between them had switched from quite flirty to very nervous and uneasy. And it was all because of him.

Was it worth another try?

"Why so? You're usually quite proud of yourself..."

A small unauthentic smile graced his lips and he answered by another question. "Do you remember the paparazzi case? Do you remember when I thought YOU would start a good brawl with those scumbags, constantly nagging at you for being so gloriously... hum... I daresay 'busted' in Hot Tub High School?"

"Yes, what's your point?"

"My point is I think we could relate on this, you and me. I also have a past. And no matter how hard I want to be someone else; this past is always biting me in the ass. And not the funny way!"

Unsure of what she could presume from this, Chloe gave him her typical "focused on a hard-solving problem" face. Was he speaking in metaphors again, or not?

"Are you implying you had to display... some flesh during your youth? Or more than just showing?" (He shot her a perplexed stare.) "You had explained me you were kicked out from home at a young age. Is that what you had to do not to starve? Strip in clubs? Be involved in the porn industry? Prostitute yourself? I wouldn't judge you. That would explain a lot. You can tell me; I'll never speak about it or think lesser of you."

He smiled and shook his head. "Well Detective, even if I do love exotic dancers and porn actors... No I didn't. I hadn't been forced into having sex, nothing happened against my will and I was not as young as you'd fear. Though, I take note you can fantasize me as a call boy…"

She gaped and her arms fell helplessly. "And that's because you're all messed up! I'm your friend, Lucifer, and I tell you that's not good! I'm worried about what is in your past. I want to know what I can do to help you... Speak to me."

"But I'm fine..."

"No, you're not! Lucifer, you told me minutes ago you were keeping the rabbit because you were 'unwell'. You can't be fine and unwell altogether."

"Yes! At last, someone who's understanding! I keep saying to Linda those feelings of yours are nonsense. She is stubborn: 'nonsense is the normal state of feelings' she says."

As a detective, she knew when it would be better not to pressure a witness. Linda could not have said this. Not wanting to undermine the therapist's work, Chloe chose cautiously another topic. "Is your family still in town?"

"No. I mean Amenadiel is still here but only because he can't leave."

"I met him sooner. He asked me if I had recovered. He seemed concerned about my health. More than you did actually."

"I knew you were well. Maze told me."

"But I would have been glad to hear your voice..."

"I definitely wouldn't have been a good company. Too frantic, too greedy and too much drug addict for you."

She tsked. This time, he was absolutely making her anxious. He had already been like this once. "Lucifer, why do you think you don't have the right to feel a bit down? Won't you tell me what happened with your sister, for you to be such in a bad place?"

"Believe me; a lot happened with my sister, Detective. Could you be more specific?"

Chloe exhaled and let her apprehensive hands go through her pony-tailed hair. She was probably looking completely tousled now. But it didn't matter. What mattered was he wasn't playing it nice, remaining secluded. Not asking her to leave but not being open-hearted either. She decided to be bold for two.

"Well. Okay. What if I was... jealous about her?"

He snored. "Unlikely."

"Why not? She's gorgeous, she comes out mysteriously from nowhere, treat you like her property, you spend all your time with her and some unknown members of your family. Then she loses her baby, is angry when you try to know if I'm all right. For her, you decide to buy a book teaching how to be a boyfriend – I mean hello, you, Lucifer Morningstar, a boyfriend! That will never happen! – Then what's your reward? You're ditched. And now you're moping here all alone, allegedly broken-hearted, singing awfully sad songs at your piano..."

Actually, she was thinking he would be offended and say something along "The Devil doesn't mope", but that's not what came out: "Who told you I'm singing sad songs? Or that I am... what you said?"

"Maze did and she added they were 'unbearably sappy'... Where is she now? I mean, your sister, not Maze."

"Lilith is at... at my cousin's place. He offered to give her shelter in a more peaceful environment to rest after... her ordeal."

Chloe smiled. "Switzerland, I guess. Discreet and far from any scandal... Is your cousin the one I had on your phone. Isn't he nice? You told your whole family turned against you. Yet he seemed to be... helpful, no?"

Lucifer nodded. "Yes, he was nice. I wish I could have known him better but he couldn't stay long."

"How is it you don't know about your cousins? How is it you have such a large family? Is your father a serial divorcee?"

"Ah, always the practical one, Detective. You ask how and not why, he noticed. And for my Father, not at all. Despite some ludicrous allegations regarding to Mary not being pregnant with the old Joe, my Father has nothing to do with Jesus' birth. Well, at least, genetically speaking. Mortals can't stand his true form. He's like pure burning radioactive light, I think you wouldn't' like to meet a nuclear reactor core."

"Isn't it an odd way to describe someone? A bit frightening, in my opinion. Does it mean you think about him as... someone brilliant but cold, dangerous even? Does he look like you or like Amenadiel ? Who is the adopted brother?"

He chuckled bitterly and smirked, gazing at her with amused eyes, half annoyed and half delighted by her questions. The topic was poor but her curiosity was priceless. "Lately, I think my Father would like us to be both adopted... Fallen angels are not something He could be proud of, I guess. I still think my brother is a pain in the ass, but staying here in Los Angeles is doing some good to him too. Why are you all a sudden so curious about my Father?

"Wait, what 'fallen angel'? You say you and your brother are angels?"

"No. He's a mortal now and I am the Devil. You never pay attention when I say this. I'm no angel. Had you never Googled me?"

She crossed her arms and answered defiantly. "Google does not talk about the Devil having a sibling named Amenadiel. Amenadiel doesn't exist on the whole web! Which is very odd."

"So, you Googled me, then?"

"Yes, and what I found is really stupid. Thus no, I don't pay much attention when you just repeat it. Plus, you always talk about your father being a bad man. Even if I'm not a believer, that's not consistent with God's brand."

.

He said nothing after that, head hanging low, eyes unfocused, lost in his thoughts. What was happening to the funny, frivolous and uncaring jet-setter he used to be? What do you desire, Chloe Decker? Shake. Him. up!

"Is this all what you have to say to me? Your father is a powerful and frightening man. You have a big family, none of your siblings were adopted, not even Lilith. You once loved her but she came to say everything was over between you because she was pregnant with someone else. You are sad because you were banned from your home because of this incestuous relationship. And now she's leaving you forever and maybe you think all of this wasn't worth the trouble? Maybe you think you have been alone all this time for nothing?"

He kept his eyes on the floor and recited: "My Father is God. Amenadiel is the first-born angel – well, he was before he did very wrong things to have me leave Earth and return in Hell. Lilith is my sister because my Father "created" her but without the help of my Mother... in an unconventional way. I rebelled because I didn't understand why we had to part ways to follow blindly my Father's commands, and why Lilith and I couldn't live together, for she was the only one to care about me. Eve was my friend. She saw Lilith teaching me love-making and she was intrigued. She asked Adam about trying this, and my Father was infuriated. There was a tremendous fight. My brother Michael threw me from the edge of Heaven. I fell and landed in Hell. I recreated myself to try and survive there, and finally ruled over it. And also... you're wrong about Lilith. She was jealous about you, about my work with you, and she left because... because I have changed too much for her liking. Is that answering what you wanted to know?"

She remained speechless and felt bad for having been too pushy. Obviously, he wasn't himself and still very sad. The way he told this was so mechanical, so broken... She raised a hand to cup his cheek in her palm. "I'm sorry, Lucifer." She stood up and felt him reluctant to give away her hand. However, she went not far and picked Sweetie in her arms. With a finger she combed her little head before giving her back to the poor Devil. He took the rabbit next to his chest. "Here, she should be a good medicine, for you."

He watched his Detective again with sorry eyes, impossible to decipher. She smiled a bit, and hoping to lift his spirits, she said coyly: "I suppose it's not the right time to ask you anything about the special dreams?"

As usual, he chose probably to say the truth when he spoke. "I will miss them."

"You know what? It's weird but... I think I'll miss them too." She paused and went on: "I... am deeply sorry, Lucifer. From now, I won't ask you anymore questions which are obviously hurting you. I didn't realize how much they were painful until now. It's also the first time you let me see this side of you."

He didn't make jokes about all the sides he would have been eager to show her. He looked up again, asking silently something, stroking lightly his little pet. Leaving him there in such a state was making her anxious, but she had to go home for her daughter. "I'll see you at the precinct this week, when you feel better?"

"I'll be there tomorrow."

"You can take a few days, you know."

"Thank you, Detective. But I'll be glad to be... back to normal. Plus, I have to find that Sinnerman."

She didn't object about his odd obsession for this urban legend. At least, he wasn't fussing about his father anymore. "Meanwhile, please, allow you to be just the lucky dad of this cutie. And remember, not a word to Trixie."

"My lips are sealed."

She felt his burning eyes in her back as she was returning to the lift. It was one of those times she couldn't say if he was endearing or frightening. Probably both. With the corner of her eye, she saw him place a small kiss on Sweetie's head.

The doors closed with a soft hushed sound.

Once alone inside the elevator, her forefront against the door, she slammed forcefully her palm on its precious metal. Looking down at the immaculate floor, her throat was sore with all she couldn't express of her feelings. She was both angry and ashamed for having ruined everything with her stupid questions and avid need to know more about his mystery.

Head still low, hoping the bouncer would not talk to her, she walked out, bit her lips and tried to contain her tears. She left the Lux hastily, without looking back. She knew she would run into his arms if she looked back. And that she would kiss him, if not ravishingly, for sure passionately.

She ran home, for the sake of them both.

Unnoticed in the elevator, a red steaming mark, shaped as her palm, was imprinted neatly on the polished metallic door.

.

.°.

.

Author's note

that's all for this side story. The next step for the characters is S3 episode 9 (The sinnerman). Not a real closure, this chapter leaves you free to imagine what you want. Temporary powers of Chloe will fade (or not). Delightful dreams won't return but Chloe will be able to hear again this inner voice she had lost. I guess none of you has developped a theory about where did the voice comes and why. Surprise me.

My primary purpose was to "explain" why Chloe could have think Marcus was a better choice for her. As it was completely rushed in season 3, I needed more developments. So I made this story showing both Chloe getting closer from Marcus, and Lucifer shuting himself down briefley because Lilith's arrival and death. Every bad memory of his past - he wanted so dearly to forget - is surfacing. And he leaves Chloe outside again. The catastrophic last conversation is there to justify she has to withdraw to avoid hurting him more.
Lucifer having to choose between two women is intentional. This is mirroring the further love triangle.

Since the title is "The First Eve" (which is another name of Lilith, because she was created even before Eve), I wanted to give a special second conclusion. She might surprise you (or not). Check it in next and final chapter.