"Sneuruch...you filthy demon! I should've known it was you!"

Exhaling slowly, Lucifer tried to remain calm as he surveyed the scene before him. Claire was obviously twitchy, perspiring profusely as she held the heavy curved blade against the Detective's throat. Maybe I can talk to her...perhaps I can get her to listen to reason…probably not...but I have to try...

"Detective...are you injured?" Seeing her shake her head slightly, he cleared his throat and pretended to smile. "Claire, listen to me...you need to let go of the Detective immediately. There's no need to harm her, Darling. She's here as my guest, not as a police officer...she's simply an innocent bystander..."

"NO!" Gripping the knife's handle tightly, the young woman stuck out her lower lip in a childish pout. "Chad said I should keep her here in this chair with this knife so she can't arrest him! He said she's dangerous, and I have to protect him from her..."

"Lucifer…" Standing behind him, Fiona tapped his shoulder before whispering in his ear. "Do you recognize that knife? It's a blade not of this world...a demon blade…"

"Yes, I can see that! I'm not blind!," he hissed sarcastically. "That's why I haven't made an effort to physically disarm the young woman as of yet. Just stay behind me, Fernishkeen…" Exhaling slowly, he considered the best method of reacting to the imminent threat Chloe was currently facing. The Detective makes me vulnerable...that knife could be the end of me...and I'd rather that this musical didn't become a tragedy. What a conundrum this is! What should I do now?

As he heard the audience's murmuring becoming louder, the Devil realized that the crowd wasn't aware of what was happening off stage. Grunting softly as he tugged hard on his jacket, he called out to the new wardrobe mistress. "Um...Claire? I seem to have a small issue with my costume…apparently my tuxedo is falling apart. Look what just fell off my coat!" He held up a black button so she could see it. "Could you come over here and fix it for me? That is your job, isn't it, Darling? To make sure the costumes are in order? It should be an easy fix...and I know you're a whiz with needle and thread..."

"I...uh...I can't right now. I'm busy." The young woman shifted from one foot to the other as she continued to press the blade against Chloe's throat. "Right now I have to help Chad…"

Seeing her hesitation, the Devil paused slightly, considering his next move. Come on...think! You're supposed to have a silver tongue...so use it!

Seeing a movement in his peripheral vision, he realized that Amenadiel was cautiously making his way toward the stage to assist him. He needed to distract Claire for a few more minutes so his brother could apprehend her...and that might give him a chance to get Chloe out of harm's way.

"You're too busy to help me, Claire?," he said in an incredulous tone, projecting for the benefit of the crowd. "Come now, Darling...you want me to look good on stage, don't you? After all, I was one of your pet projects...I'll make up a good part of your portfolio, right? That success as a designer is what you truly desire, isn't it? To be a costume designer for the stars? Why don't you join me out here on stage so the audience can give you a nice round of applause?" Lucifer flashed a brilliant smile as he held out a hand to her. "Please? For me, Darling? Think of the adulation...it is what you want…what you desire the most..."

Looking slightly stunned as she listened to the Devil's cajoling, Claire lowered the knife slightly. "No...that's not what I really want." Smiling sweetly, she turned to Helton. "What I really desire is to marry Chad...I love him so much…we're made for each other..."

Wearing a wicked grin, Lucifer turned to the shocked man standing next to her. "Well, what do you think, Sneuruch? Are congratulations in order? It'd be a rather difficult match, what with you being a chaos demon and all, but I suppose true love will win out in the end…"

Laughing wildly, Chad Helton's visage slowly began to change. Instead of looking like an actual man, he took on a more feral, canine quality, complete with a snarling, elongated muzzle...more like that of a rabid hyena in an ersatz human form. As his body twisted into an unnatural stance, he tore off his white dress shirt, revealing orange spotted skin covered with thick patches of long dark purple fur growing down his back and his arms. His twisted fingers were beginning to show evidence of having long, sharp black nails, giving his hands a claw-like appearance. "Chaos demon? I don't know what you're talking about, sir. I'm merely an entrepreneur..."

"Like Hell you say." Clenching his fists in rage, Lucifer glared angrily at the horrid being that Chloe had known as Chad Helton. "I'm assuming that Claire is your minion, Sneuruch, so I command you...instruct her to release the Detective."

Sneuruch shrugged as he checked his new pointed fingernails. "I have no control over Claire…she does what she wants..."

"That is a lie! You've caused her to do terrible things! I know you've taken control of her mind!" Taking a step forward, Lucifer drew himself up to his full height, waving at the figure with a commanding gesture.. "And, as the Lord of Hell, I order you to do my bidding! Release your hold on Claire, and let the Detective go!"

Showing his pointed yellow teeth in an evil smile, Sneuruch shook his head as he cackled loudly. "You? The Lord of Hell? I don't think so, Lucifer! You've been gone for too long to bear that title any more! I think we need a replacement down there...perhaps a chaos demon...perhaps someone like me..."

"Except that you're not an Angel! Only Angels can rule Hell!" Realizing it would do no good to expect Sneuruch to respond to facts, Lucifer's voice trailed away. Exhaling slowly, the Devil nodded, pretending to acquiesce. "Fine. We'll discuss that point later. However, you still haven't answered my question. Will we be hearing wedding bells soon? I suppose you and Claire would be a perfect match...a match made in Hell..."

"Of course not." Scoffing, Sneuruch gave Claire a disdainful wave. "She's served her purpose. I won't be needing her any more after this evening, so I'll be cutting her loose...literally..."

Turning to Claire, the Devil smirked. "Did you hear that, Darling? This nasty demon has been manipulating you all along. He's infected your mind with his vile thoughts. He's had you doing his bidding, and now that his plan has come to fruition, he's willing to discard you without a second thought…and it seems that he has your murder on his mind." Lucifer shrugged as he jammed his hands into his trouser pockets. "So much for being a beloved minion, right, pet? It looks like there'll be no wedding in your future."

"That's not true!," Claire shrieked as she loosened her grip on the Detective, gesturing wildly with the heavy knife as she turned to Sneuruch. "You bastard! You said you loved me…you said you'd be mine forever! You promised to marry me!"

Seeing her chance, Chloe quickly slipped from her seat and ran into Lucifer's embrace.

"Detective! Are you quite alright?" Lucifer gave her a gentle smile. "I'm so sorry you were caught up in this little family squabble…"

"I'm fine...just a little shaken." Rubbing her throat, she glanced over her shoulder. "So Claire committed all three murders with that knife?"

"Yes, unfortunately, it was her." Protecting the Detective and Fiona with his outstretched arms, the Devil gazed intently at the costumer. "She has been completely under Sneuruch's thrall, probably for several months now. As a chaos demon, it was easy for him to convince a weak willed person such as her to follow his instructions…and so he bent her personality to his will. Eventually, he changed her name to Claire Morgenstern. There is one question left, however. I'm not sure how he managed to escape Hell, unless he had some help...chaos demons aren't permitted out of the gates without special permission from On High..."

"Very perceptive, Lucifer." The demon snorted in derision. "You're right...for a change. I had help. It was easy to slip through the gates of Hell…" He pointed across the stage. "...because that stupid witch, Ms. Leveau, summoned me with one of her off-kilter spells. She thought she was bringing harmony into the world but instead, she was using her 'magic words' in the wrong order and ended up sowing the seeds of discord, so I was able to make my way up to Earth. I found that I enjoyed being up here, above ground...and so I sought out someone to be my assistant in order to help me stay permanently." He laughed unpleasantly as he pretended to smile at Claire. "And this poor, lonely little ragamuffin fit the bill perfectly. Poor mousy Norma Jane Fribley...nobody loved her, and it was so easy to twist her into my way of thinking…and so I gave her a new name...Claire Morgenstern! She was going to help me take your place, Lucifer...she was going to be the new Bright Morningstar…"

"But you don't belong above ground, Demon!," Lucifer growled. "You need to go back to Hell where you belong…"

"Make me!" Sneuruch's lips twisted into a petulant frown. "Anyway, why do I have to go back to Hell? Mazikeen and Fernishkeen get to stay up here on Earth and play…"

Lucifer rolled his eyes in disgust. "They've learned to blend in with the humans instead of destroying them, as you attempted to do, with Claire's help…"

Tired of all the crazy comments about demons and Hell, the Detective interrupted the argument. "I don't get it. You can't possibly be a real demon, so how did you corrupt her? Did you hypnotize her? What weird way of thinking did you inspire in Claire, anyway? How did you cause her to commit murder? Why cause so much pain? Why kill three innocent people?"

The demon answered with an ugly sneer. "Oh, I don't know...why not? After all, it is what I do as a chaos demon...I spread trouble and leave uproar and mayhem in my wake. Of course, the murders did serve my purpose, so I suppose it wasn't totally for reasons of chaos." Shrugging as he glanced at an angry Claire, Sneuruch chuckled. "Alan Dixon was a very experienced demon hunter and he was hot on my trail. I knew he'd be the end of me, so I instructed my dear little friend, Claire, to take care of the problem, which she did most efficiently…slitting his throat without a second thought simply because she believed he was a threat to me." He gave her a dismissive wave. "I needed Erica McCabe gone so I could maneuver into taking over the production of this awful so-called musical...and Claire was happy to oblige. I think she enjoyed leaving the bloody artwork behind, too…all in homage to the soon-to-be replaced 'Lord of Hell'."

Watching as Amenadiel crept closer, Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "If you thought the show was so bad, why were you so anxious to take it over?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The chaos demon snickered softly. "I wanted to get close to you, Lucifer...I wanted to be in position to remove you from power with my demon blade. I knew your pride would be your downfall. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the urge to show off for a crowd...and then Claire would be able to end you…as part of the costume department she'd have reason to get close to you..."

"I see." Clearing his throat softly, Lucifer continued. "And what about Ms Hughes? What possible motive would you have for having her killed?"

"I had no reason, really…" Sneuruch snorted in disdain. "...but Claire hated her and wanted her position as wardrobe mistress, so I gave her a green light as a sort of reward for a job well done. She murdered Carys for the sheer joy of it…"

"She was mean to me!," Claire interjected. "Besides, Chad said I should…"

"So there never was a tall, blond intruder in the costume workshop.," Chloe muttered softly. "Claire made up the story to implicate Michael Prince, but she was the guilty one all along. You were right, Lucifer...your brother wasn't involved. I'm sorry I doubted you."

"You were just doing your job, Detective. I know that now." He smiled at her before turning back to the matters at hand.

"So you see, Darling…" Lucifer took a step towards Claire. "Your supposed lover has just exposed your murderous crime spree without giving it a second thought. He used you...manipulated you...and he never cared for you...not the way you cared for him. No matter what he'd said in the past, he never loved you and he never planned to marry you. He's going to cast you away and allow you to go to prison for the rest of your life...that is, if he doesn't simply kill you first for the sheer fun of it…"

"NO!" Shrieking wildly, Claire lunged at Sneuruch, flailing her arms as she tried to stab him with the heavy blade. As Amenadiel pulled her away from the demon, the knife fell at the demon's feet.

A look of hatred filled his face as he brandished the weapon. "At last...we come to the crux of our battle, Lucifer." Stepping out on the stage, the demon raised his fists in triumph. "I have the blade...I'll kill you right now…"

A faint smile crossed Lucifer's face as he closed his eyes and pressed his hands together.

"Lucifer!" Chloe was aghast as she watched Sneuruch twirl the knife around one of his long, crooked fingers. "What are you doing?"

"Praying.," was his calm answer. Hearing her gasp, he pointed to the theater's rafters. "Watch…"

A loud whoosh filled the auditorium and the sound of golden angel wings was heard overhead. A tall blond being, clad in golden armor, descended from the rafters as the audience gasped in awe, his shining wings flapping mightily as he landed on the stage.

"Not him!," Sneuruch squealed in horror, dropping the knife as he cowered in fear. "Help me, Claire…"

"I am the Archangel Michael, Warrior of the Lord...Defender of the Righteous...Prince of Angels...Leader of the Heavenly Host...Servant of the Most High God!," the celestial emissary announced in a loud voice as he held aloft a polished golden sword. "I conquer demons and throw them into the Lake of Fire! I've come to rid the world of the evil that has invaded it..."

"Yes...yes, that's all well and good. We get it." Standing with his hands on his hips, Lucifer shook his head at his twin's flowery speech. "And thank you for coming so quickly, but there's no need to get carried away, Mickey. I think you've made your point. You're a big shot." Pointing at the suddenly cowering demon, the Devil tilted his head. "Anyway, while you're here, I think this rotten demon needs to make a one way trip to Hell…"

"He's the one who had Alan killed?" Grabbing the squirming demon by the scruff of its neck, Michael held it at arms' length as he cringed in disgust. "Where do you want me to put this one? Or can I destroy him instead? You know...an eye for an eye..."

"Hmm." Picking up the heavy knife, Lucifer contemplated the question as he studied Sneuruch. Running the tip of the blade across the exposed skin on the demon's chest, he turned to his brother. "Maybe you're correct, Michael. Perhaps it would be better to just get rid of it. What do you think, Brother? Do you see any need to clutter up Hell with this vile monster?"

"Please, my Lord!," Sneuruch screamed. "Please have pity on me! I promise to never show myself up here again..."

"Lucifer...we really need to take him into custody, along with Claire." Pulling some handcuffs out of her bag, Chloe stepped forward. "I'll take care of it…"

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Detective. This is out of your hands...and well beyond your grasp." Turning to Michael, Lucifer chuckled. "No need to destroy him when we can make an example of him. I tell you what...since he likes the theater so much, why don't you deposit him in the Cats section of Hell...you know, the part that's set aside for the musical renditions of Memories…"

Sneuruch's eyes grew wide with terror. "No...not that! I'm begging you…"

"As you wish, Lucifer." The demon's cries faded away as the Archangel's wings unfurled. "That's enough out of you, demon! Now...let's get you where you belong…"

With that, Michael leapt off the stage and flew away into the night.

There was a beat or two of silence before the audience rose to its feet, cheering wildly as the 'performance' ended. The applause was deafening as the curtain closed in front of the actors.

Stunned at what had just happened, Chloe looked around in surprise as she pointed towards the offstage area. "There's Claire, but where's Chad Helton? I just saw him...I need to arrest him…"

"I'm afraid he's slipped away, Detective." Lucifer tried not to smile as he glanced up at the rafters. "Maybe you should put one of those all points bulletin thingies out for him…"

"Maybe." Shaking her head, she gazed at her former partner. "What just happened here?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucifer paused. "Well...let's just say that Mr. Helton's crimes don't fall under your jurisdiction." Bowing as the curtain opened again, he smiled. "No worries, Detective. I'm sure he'll get what he deserves…"

Suddenly feeling very tired, Chloe leaned against him as he put his arm around her. "Fine. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Why don't you come by my office sometime in the morning? Maybe we can discuss it on the way to the county jail. I'll have the charges against your brother dropped...he'll be out tomorrow..."

"I'd be delighted." The Devil took another bow as the audience continued to clap. "Until tomorrow then…"

Rubbing her eyes, Chloe nodded, trying to sort out the surprising ending of the show. "Good." She paused slightly. "You need to explain all of the special effects they used in this production…"

"I'll do my best, Darling." Waving as she walked away, Lucifer couldn't help but smile. Things would be getting back to normal soon.

Oooooooooo

Things had been in an uproar as Lucifer tried to leave the theater later that evening. Greg had been inundated with questions from critics and actors alike, with everyone wondering the same thing...how had he come up with that incredible ending?

After making a weak attempt to explain that it had been a surprise to him as well, the director eventually gave up, accepting the accolades for a wonderful show while at the same time wondering how it would ever be practical and financially feasible to actually replicate that final act during a Broadway production of the play.

Lucifer finally broke the news to Greg and Ms. Leveau that he wouldn't be able to continue as the lead in the show when it moved to the Big Apple. He smiled to himself as he remembered their disappointment. It might've been fun to play the lead in a big Broadway production, but he had a bigger project in mind...a bigger part that he was looking forward to playing in Los Angeles...a part that involved a certain beautiful police detective…

It was almost midnight as he poured himself a scotch in his darkened penthouse. As he sipped the amber liquid, he thought over the last few weeks, wondering if maybe he'd reached a turning point with Michael.

Maybe he's not quite the prick I thought he was…

As he mused over his relationship with his twin, he wasn't surprised to hear the flutter of golden wings on his balcony.

"I thought we agreed that you'd return to the jail cell, Mickey…," Lucifer admonished. "Remember...the Detective still has to declare you to be officially cleared…"

"I know, Luci...I'm on my way." Folding his golden wings, Michael stepped into the well appointed living room. "I just wanted to let you know that your little buddy Sneuruch won't be bothering you anymore, even if you do go back to ruling Hell in person. I put him in the lowest level of the Cats wing...as far away from your throne as I could."

Grimacing slightly as Michael mentioned his possible return to Hell, Lucifer nodded. "Thank you, Brother. I must say, your performance tonight was most enjoyable. Perhaps you have a future on stage…"

"Nah...with the exception of running errands for Dad from time to time, I'm planning on spending most of my time in the Silver City with Alan." Michael paused slightly. "I know I'll see you tomorrow, but I wanted to say thanks now, Lucifer. I appreciate everything you did for me...especially for finding Alan's killer."

"That's what brothers are for, Mickey." Lucifer smiled sadly. "It would be nice if you'd come to visit me here on Earth from time to time...since I won't be able to make it up to the Silver City to see you…"

"My pleasure." Michael reached out to shake his brother's hand. "Maybe I can put in a good word with Dad for you...you know, so that you and Chloe can be together up there someday...or at least a lot of time together down here on Earth..."

Shaking his head, the Devil tried to laugh. "Thanks, but I'm not even sure we'll be together down here, so that may not be necessary…"

"Don't give up hope, Brother. I bet things will work out someday. I'll talk to Dad...sometimes He even listens to what I have to say." Unfurling his wings, Michael got ready to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks again."

There was another whoosh, and Michael was gone, leaving his brother to ponder his future with the Detective.

Oooooooooo

Even though he was certain of his welcome at the precinct, the Devil decided to stop along the way to pick up the Detective's favorite lemon bars and coffee. She'd expect him to arrive empty handed, and he knew she'd appreciate the treat. "Besides…," he murmured to himself as he walked into the police station. "...a few extra points added to my account couldn't hurt…"

He was thrilled to see the beautiful smile lighting up her face when she first caught sight of him. "Good morning, Detective…"

"Hello, Lucifer." She giggled as she took the box of pastries from his hand. "My favorite! Thank you!" After selecting one, she took a bite, brushing away some stray powdered sugar from her lips. "I'm surprised to see you here so early. When Greg called this earlier today he said they'd celebrated the success of the show well into the wee hours of the morning."

"Well, as you know, I have parties all the time, so I didn't really need to stay to get the full effect of one." Settling back in his chair, Lucifer waved at Dan before looking around the office. "Where is your new partner? I don't see Detective Shamrock anywhere…"

"Lucifer, Sean was never my partner!" She narrowed her eyes at her companion. "How many times do I have to tell you that?" Taking a sip of her coffee, Chloe continued. "Anyway, he quit the force. He's going to follow Fiona when they take the show to Broadway...I guess they really are an item…"

Laughing out loud, Lucifer shook his head. "Well, I wish him luck with that endeavor. I think he'll find that she can be quite temperamental...it's like she can turn into a completely different person at the drop of a hat."

"Well, maybe that's what he likes about her...she's unpredictable." Avoiding Lucifer's gaze, Chloe fidgeted with a pencil. "So...um...Greg said you've decided not to go to New York…"

"It's true. I have too many interests here in LA…" Suddenly feeling shy, he studied his nails. "You know, with Lux and all. I can't very well leave my nightclub in Maze's hands. She'd ruin me…"

"Yeah, I get that." Rising from her chair, Chloe picked up her keys and phone. "I guess we'd better go get your brother out of jail." She hesitated slightly, eying Lucifer suspiciously. "You know, the actor who played that Archangel character looked a lot like Michael Prince…but it couldn't have been him, right? When I called over to County lockup this morning to schedule his release, they said he'd been in his cell all night long..."

"I suppose their similar appearance is merely a coincidence…," Lucifer offered. "You know blond, blue eyed men are a dime a dozen in Hollywood…" He cleared his throat. "So I'm assuming that Claire Morgenstern is in your custody now…"

The Detective sighed sadly. "Actually she's been admitted to a mental health facility. It seems she's had a complete breakdown. She was completely incoherent...babbling all sorts of nonsense about Hell and demons and special knife blades. Linda says she may never recover enough to be tried for the murders. According to Linda, Claire is no longer in control of her faculties…"

"But you're certain she committed the crimes." Lucifer raised an eyebrow at the Detective. "There's no doubt about that…"

"No doubt. Ella says that the big knife Claire had last night matched the wounds on the victims, and her fingerprints were all over it. Of course, I suppose there could be another explanation, but with Claire unable to stand trial, we'll just have to go with the idea that it was her."

Grabbing her coffee mug, Chloe continued. "You know, the special effects in the last act of play were spectacular. I was convinced that the Angel was really flying away holding a demon. I really enjoyed the show." Grimacing slightly, she flicked her ponytail over her shoulder. "I just wish we could've apprehended Chad Helton. I called his office this morning, and they said they hadn't heard anything from him. It's like he just dropped off the face of the Earth. Weird, right? I mean Helton was there, standing next to Claire, and all of the sudden, when that actor appeared, decked out like a demon, Helton just vanished…"

"Well, you know, Detective, old theaters like that one have all sorts of nooks and crannies where a fugitive might hide…I'm sure he simply took advantage of the confusion to make his escape."

"Yeah, but still...the timing was odd. Anyway, the makeup on that actor playing the demon was awesome. The way they made him transform from a person to a demon was really amazing…it looked like it was actually happening."

"True. The makeup artists working on the show were remarkable...and I think they used some sort of CGI or something." Hoping she wouldn't press him for more details, he paused for dramatic effect. "The makeup people even managed to make me look bad, you know…which is quite the impossible feat..."

Rolling her eyes at her silly partner, Chloe chuckled softly. "You know, I've missed that…"

"Missed what?," Lucifer asked innocently as he rose to join her.

"Your huge ego...your weird sense of humor...your quirky way of looking at things." She smiled as she took his arm. "I hope, even with everything that's happened between us, that you'll still be my partner…"

The Devil felt his heart thumping wildly as he looked into her beautiful eyes. He swallowed hard, before nodding, trying to remain calm. "Of course, Detective. I'll be your partner...for as long as you want me to be."

She grinned up at him. "That might be a very long time…"

"That's quite alright." He smiled back at her. "I'll be glad to hang around for a very, very long time."

"Promise?"

"Of course." He nodded. "You know I always keep my word, correct? That's a point of honor for me. So...if I promise I'll be your partner for a very long time…that's what I'll do..."

He paused, exhaling slowly before continuing. "...and, if I'm very fortunate, perhaps I can be your partner forever."

Surprised at how serious he seemed, she gave him a quizzical look as they got into the car, wondering what he meant.

He didn't notice, however. He was too busy petitioning his brother Michael, reminding him that he'd said something about putting in a good word for him with their Father, hoping against hope that he'd have a chance to achieve that forever he so deeply desired...an eternity together with the Detective that he wanted with his whole heart.

Sighing softly, he smiled faintly, hoping against hope that his Father would be willing to listen to the request of the Prince of Angels and finally grant this one wish for him.

After all, only an eternity would be a long enough period of time for him to spend with Chloe Decker.

A/N: thanks for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. Laura