When Amenadiel swooped down from the sky, his great wings whipping the air around Chloe like a storm, she had to do a double take.

Then, despite the fear and worry that had only built over the last two hours as she'd rushed into town, grabbing food to shove in her mouth and asking everywhere for Lucifer, she burst into laughter.

"What?" Amenadiel asked as he stepped gently to the ground, adjusting the bright green pack strapped to his chest, filled with a happily gurgling baby.

"You brought Charlie?!"

He winced.

"Yeah... Girl's night out and I didn't want to interrupt. No sitter."

Chloe smirked.

Linda and Amenadiel hadn't used a sitter since Charlie had been kidnapped by a demonically-possessed fake zombie night nurse.

She blinked at her own thought.

How had life gotten so weird?

"Besides, he loves flying. Especially when I go really fast. Don't you?" He clasped his son's little hand and wobbled it as Charlie squirmed in delight. "Yes, you do!"

Chloe smiled, caught up in their joy, then quickly shook her head.

"But Amenadiel, there are people with guns involved... I think. What if they decide to shoot at you?"

"Oh, they can't hurt us, can they Charlie?" He looked up from his son with a smile. "He takes after the celestial side of the family, Chloe. We only found out last week when he pulled a pot off the stove. Nothing hurt, no burn. Poor Linda was beside herself."

"Oh," Chloe said, without a clue as to what to say next.

"Which prompts the question - why do you think Lucifer is hurt?"

Chloe felt a sudden rush of tears, but held them back. "Because I feel like something is wrong. He would have shown up by now if he was fine, Amenadiel."

"He hates camping, Chloe - are you sure he's not back in town, seated at a bar?"

"I already checked. And it's not like before - he knows I get worried. Besides... I think he was... enjoying the... um... camping we'd just... done."

Amenadiel gave her a confused look.

"Where's your campsite?" he finally asked.

She brought up the map she'd downloaded to her phone, then pointed at the trees. "Directly that way, just over eight miles away."

"Alright, and the town?"

She turned her phone slightly and pointed again. "That way, 26 miles. There's a gas station a little closer, about 15 miles."

He nodded. "Now, how far from you does Lucifer need to be to be invulnerable again?

Chloe swallowed. "I... I don't know. He's been with me so much lately, he's always been..."

"Mortal?"

She nodded numbly, then looked up at him with searching eyes.

"Is this... my fault?"

Amenadiel stood as close as he could with a baby strapped to his chest and kissed her temple. "No, Chloe," he said softly. "My idiot brother is just being an idiot. I'm going to fly the path he took now."

"Oh, God, please be careful!"

"I will. No one will see us."

When she nodded, her eyes troubled and downcast, he squeezed her arm comfortingly.

"He's fine, Chloe. We'll find him. What trouble could he have gotten into on a camping trip?"


These chapters are pretty short, I realize. They get longer. XD

Hope you're enjoying the story. :) Let me know with a comment if you can!