Hello! Here it is - the longest chapter I've ever written. I hope it won't bore you. I could split it into two but it just didn't feel right.

Thank you to those who still keep reading my story and a special thank you to those writing reviews - Rush-of-eels, SPCLjmm and mendenbar. You're great!

Chapter 6

The morning came quickly, even too quickly for Chloe. After so short but much needed sleep, she wasn't ready for opening her eyes and leaving this warm and comfortable bed yet. However, the world around her just wouldn't let her stay in. The sun rays started streaming through the blinds and shining right at her closed eyelids. With each moment, the air in the bedroom was getting hotter. Chloe growled, turned over to the other side and stretched her hand towards the place where Trixie and Lucifer should be but she found it empty. That made her finally open her eyes and look around the room. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Trixie? Lucifer?" She asked but she was the only one there. Where are they? she pondered and checked her watch on the nightstand. It said 9:30 a.m. She was glad it was Saturday and Trixie didn't have to go to school otherwise she would be so late. She couldn't believe she slept for so many hours, she was usually an early bird, even at the weekend. She stretched a little, hopped out of bed and took some clothes on her way to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Chloe emerged out of it and went downstairs to check on her two favorite people or beings, to be more specific – her human child and her Devil.

She could hear some muffled voices coming from the kitchen. When she got downstairs, she was met with a peculiar view – the king of Hell himself was wandering around her kitchen, making pancakes and flipping them in the air, earning hearty squeals from her daughter every time the pancake spun around and landed on the frying pan. Seeing the two of them interact with each other so freely and openly, made her heart skip a beat. Who would have thought Lucifer could act so naturally around a human child instead of growing tense at the mere thought of just getting near one.

"Hey, guys." Chloe came closer and was met with two broad smiles on their faces.

"Hi, mommy!" Trixie bounced off the stool and rushed to hug her mother really tight. Chloe laughed and put her arms around her. They stayed like that for a short moment. Trixie raised her head and asked. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, monkey. Actually quite well, considering the fact that it was rather crowded in there." Chloe tried hard to sound indifferent but couldn't really manage it. Trixie giggled at her comment and Lucifer couldn't help it and burst out laughing. She turned her eyes his way and seeing him so happy and carefree, without any celestial worries, made her heart melt. Soon, she joined in their infectious laughter.

Finally, Trixie stepped out of her mother's embrace and went back to her place by the counter top. Chloe moved towards Lucifer with her smile still on.

"Not that I'm complaining about it" She added, watching his lips suggestively and standing closer to him.

"Hello, Detective." His vibrating tone of voice as usual sent shivers down her spine. She bit her lip.

"Hello, Lucifer." She said, gazing into his sparkling dark eyes. With that she gave him a quick playful peck on the cheek. Lucifer's eyebrows rose in mock disappointment after her suggestive behavior he has just witnessed.

Oh no, you're not getting away with it, he thought. He wasted no more time and sprang into action. He bent down and captured her lips, slowly caressing her cheeks. He could feel her smile at his gesture, she knew exactly what he was going to do and obviously expected this course of action. And he fell for it but he didn't mind. Soon the kiss deepened and they would easily get carried away if it wasn't for a certain teenager.

"Ahem." They heard her clear her throat. Reluctantly, they pulled apart but still held their hands, both wearing a sheepish grin on their faces.

"You'd better eat your pancakes, urchin." Lucifer snorted, trying to sound firm but failed miserably. Instead of being afraid, it felt like a real fun to Trixie. She loved making Lucifer uncomfortable.

Chloe wanted to avoid any possible tensions between her daughter and Lucifer so she decided to speak up.

"They smell nice. I bet they're delicious." She gave Lucifer a knowing look.

"They're the best! Better than daddy's or… yours." Trixie said with a smirk.

Lucifer's ego boosted. "Really?" He smiled at the girl, so proud of himself. "Please, Detective, have a seat and have some." He motioned to the stool next to him and pulled it back for Chloe to sit. He put some pancakes on the plate and offered it to her.

"Thank you, Lucifer." She said and dug into her meal.

"Mhmm, you were right Trix, they're really good." Chloe moaned with pleasure, licking her lips and squinting her eyes.

Lucifer groaned inwardly, What is she doing to me today? He swallowed nervously, trying so hard to gain his posture and not to give away what was on his mind. However, the moment Chloe looked up from her plate and saw his wideed dark pupils staring at her with so much intensity, she recognized that look right away. He was wearing it not long ago on the first night they spent together. The mere thought of it was making her feel butterflies in her stomach. She was feeling extremely hot, starting from her face which suddenly turned red.

She broke her gaze and glanced at Trixie, hoping she wouldn't notice it. Fortunately, her daughter was still occupied with her meal. Chloe let out a breath of relief. She was lucky for now, though she knew Trixie was very observant and could pick up even on smaller nuances. Her gaze went back to Lucifer whose expression hadn't altered a bit. After a brief consideration, she decided that a change of subject would help them both.

"Lucifer, why didn't you wake me up sooner? I'm not used to getting up at such late hour." She said and reached for the orange juice. Finally, he seemed to snap out of his haze.

"Well, you were sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to interrupt you, I knew you needed it." He stated.

"Yes, so we came downstairs and I asked Lucifer to make pancakes." Trixie chirped, bouncing on the stool. "And guess what? Lucifer told me his big secret." She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial way.

When Chloe heard these words, she almost choked on the juice she was drinking. "What?!" She couldn't believe it. He hasn't done it, has he?

"Detective, are you all right?" Lucifer asked her, his tone of voice playful as he knew exactly what her reaction would be.

"Lucifer, please tell me you hasn't…" Chloe glared at him, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Darling, you don't think I would…" He said in mock surprise. One look at her told him everything.

"All right," he raised his hands in surrender, "ask your offspring if you don't believe me." He stated and pointed to Trixie who seemed very puzzled being a witness to this strange conversation.

They both looked at the girl and waited for her reply. There was none as Trixie had no idea what was expected of her.

Patience wasn't Lucifer's virtue so he didn't wait any longer and spoke up. "Child, can you tell your mother what big secret I shared with you?"

"Oh, okay. Lucifer told me he knew Walt Disney!" She exclaimed.

Chloe felt so relieved but also kind of foolish for letting herself think Lucifer would expose to her daughter the truth about him being the Devil.

Close observation of these two adults made Trixie realize that there must be much bigger secret, one that her mother would be afraid of revealing to her. That was something definitely worth exploring. She made a promise to herself that she would find out what it is.

"Walt Disney? Really?" Chloe's eyebrows rose. She was aware of the fact that since the age of five, Trixie loved everything connected to Disney – she even begged her and Dan to take her to the Disneyworld and they did. What is more, almost every weekend they had a Disney movie night.

"Yes, I may have given him one or two inspirational ideas when he was feeling down after his mother's death. By the way, he was feeling guilty about it for the rest of his life…" Lucifer looked at his girls, both of them were wearing a puzzled look and Chloe gave him an eye roll and a knowing look at Trixie.

Lucifer got the meaning. "But that fact shouldn't be of any interest to such urchin like you." He pointed to Trixie, earning a disappointed sigh from her.

"Lucifer is right, monkey. I know you love everything Disney and that's all that matters." Chloe decided to cut off the discussion before her daughter had a chance to get involved in it.

"Mommy, can we have a Disney night tonight and watch 'Beauty and the Beast'?

"I'm sorry, honey but we can't. I have to find someone to take care of you tonight." Chloe told her. "Probably my mother." She added quietly, dreading this conversation, having in mind their yesterday's meeting.

Lucifer knew exactly what was on her mind, remembering her words about Penelope. "What about Dan? Isn't he supposed to carry out his parental duties?" Lucifer stated.

"He would if he wasn't let in on the big secret so unexpectedly." Chloe lowered her voice.

Trixie's eyes flickered and her curiosity was awaken at the mention of this big secret. However, the two adults were so engrossed in their conversation, that they didn't notice the girl's agitation.

They went on. "Well, that wasn't exactly my fault, Detective, it was Michael's but if you want, I can gladly offer my help and talk to him." He volunteered.

"No, Lucifer. I don't know if he recovered yet but I guess I can try at least." Chloe admitted reluctantly. The truth was, she preferred phoning Dan to phoning her mother.

"I'll be right back." She said, got up and went upstairs to contact her ex-husband.

Trixie decided to seize the opportunity and gather some useful information.

"Lucifer?" She started but he seemed to be lost in thought. She noticed his creased forehead and faraway look.

"Lucifer!" She raised her voice and touched his hand. This brought him back to reality.

"Mhmm?" Finally, he met her eyes. "What is it child?"

"I just wanted to thank for the breakfast you made. It was delicious." Trixie said and smiled sweetly. If Chloe was there, she would know in an instant that the girl was up to something but since she wasn't present and Lucifer wasn't used to any of Trixie's tricks yet, so he didn't expect any perturbations.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it." He said proud of himself and grinned at her.

Now she decided to take action. "So, are you and mommy working today? It's Saturday and you shouldn't work." To Lucifer she looked like pouting. He thought that Chloe's refusal to the movie night was still on Trixie's mind. He even sympathized with her.

"No, actually we aren't working today. We have to deal with some of my family's issues – namely my dad's bloody visit." He said under his breath.

She didn't react to his swearing word, somehow she knew that with Lucifer it was pointless.

"Your family's here? Cool!" Trixie exclaimed smiling broadly but one close look at Lucifer's face made her smile fade away. "You don't seem very happy, do you?"

He snickered and was getting more agitated by the second. "If your dad who cast you away from home and sent you literally to Hell, thus depriving you of your whole family, wanted to meet you for a dinner, you probably wouldn't be thrilled to this idea either." He clenched his fists, stood up from his seat and turned around fearing she would notice his red devil eyes.

If only he saw Trixie at that moment, he would be more worried about her than his father. The girl was wearing a Grinch-like grin revealing a devilish plan that started forming in her head. Now, the only thing she needed was the time and place.

She quickly controlled her emotions and spoke up. "I'm sorry, Lucifer. I didn't want to upset you."

Trixie sounded really sincere and emphatic. He calmed down a bit and turned around. The look on her face, together with her words, made his eyes water.

"That's not your fault, child, but my dad's." He stated flatly and smiled weakly.

At that moment, Chloe came from upstairs with her mobile in her hand.

"So, I called Dan and he agreed to take care of Trixie. He sounded much better than he had been before." Chloe said and suddenly, by looking at Trixie and Lucifer, she felt something was off.

"Splendid. Good for him!" Lucifer told her wryly, blinking his eyes frantically.

"Are you all right? What were you guys doing?" She asked.

Lucifer opened his mouth to answer her question but Trixie beat him to it.

"I told him what wonderful pancakes he made and I guess it touched him so much." The girl told her in a matter-of-fact tone.

Trixie's explanation was hard to believe for Chloe. She knew Lucifer's ego was huge but she didn't think he would react so emotionally because her daughter praised his pancakes. Another glance at him and it ensured her that it wasn't something he wanted to talk about so she respected that.

"Mommy, can I go to my room and phone Kate? She's ill and I wanted to check on her." Trixie asked, wanting to regroup and think over her next step in her plan.

"Kate? Oh, your classmate?" Chloe remembered the girl Trixie mentioned a couple of times before.

"Okay monkey but don't talk too long this time. Your dad will be here in an hour." She added. "Don't forget to pack your things."

Trixie didn't waste any more time and sprang to her room, shouting. "Yes, mommy. I promise!" With that the door shut.

Chloe chuckled. "She amazes me every day. Last time, her phone call to her friend lasted more than an hour." She said, knowing very well that her daughter was turning into a teenager.

"Something tells me that soon you'll have to brace yourself for much more serious problems, long phone calls being the smallest worry in your life." Lucifer said, his words not making her feel any better.

He noticed her miserable face so he decided to lift up her spirits. He came closer and spread his arms. She sighed and gladly stepped into his embrace.

"I'm sorry, darling." He murmured into her hair. "I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't my intention to get you upset." His sincere apology brought a small smile to her lips.

"But you were right. Soon, everything will change." She said and each of them knew she didn't mean only Trixie. Silence fell in the room with both of them lost deeply in thought. They remained like that for some time, holding one another tight and Lucifer absent-mindedly caressing her back.

"Lucifer?"

"Yes, dear?"

"What about Maze?" Chloe asked the question with some sense of anxiety.

"What do you mean?" He felt puzzled.

"Well, ever since you have told me what she had done, I can't stop thinking about it." She admitted.

"Don't worry, Maze is Maze. It's nothing new of her. If only you knew how many times she went against me."

She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I still find it hard to believe that she could pair up with Michael." She said and shook her head.

"Not so long ago, she helped Pierce get what he wanted." At the mention of Pierce's name, Chloe shuddered slightly. Lucifer sensed it at once and felt badly about it.

"I'm sorry but I just wanted you to see her in the real light. Maze is a demon without a soul and no one can change that."

"I know but to me she's a lonely and miserable creature who thinks everybody leaves her – first Eve, then you."

He sighed. "You're probably right. But it started way before Eve – with Lilith."

"Who's Lilith?" Chloe asked, just like her daughter not long ago.

"Maze's mother. She was Adam's first wife. They didn't get along – she refused to be subservient to him so she left Eden. She went to the place which later became the Hell and had hoards of offspring – demons like Maze. And then one day, she left them, came here and stayed. I met her through different times and places. I even helped her once to retrieve her stolen ring." He stopped and glanced at the piece of jewelry on his finger.

Chloe followed his gaze and it dawned on her. "Is this…?" She pointed to it.

"Lilith's ring? Yes. When I found it, she decided to give up her eternal life and live the rest of it here on Earth. Thus, she placed her immortality inside the ring and gave it to me. I haven't seen her since."

Chloe could easily see that this memory must have been very important to Lucifer, as his eyes became watery and he was wearing a faraway look.

"Did she tell you why she abandoned her children?"

"Yes, actually. She wanted them to be strong and unbreakable. What is more, she made me promise that I would never tell any of it to any of her children." He sighed deeply. "That's probably the only promise I wish I had never made."

"Poor Maze. Now I know where this fear of abandonment comes from." Chloe said.

Upon hearing her words, Lucifer spun around. He felt fury rising in his whole body.

"Poor Maze? Detective, you have no idea what you're talking about." Chloe looked clueless by his sudden outburst. "If you want to hear the whole story about the ring, ask your daughter."

That confused her even more. "What has Trixie got to do with it?" She asked really worried now.

He snickered. "Everything. Our poor old Maze made Trixie trick me into telling her the story of this ring."

Chloe's eye widened in shock. That was the last thing she would expect of her ex-roommate. "She used Trixie? Why?" She looked at Lucifer, her police instinct kicking in. "I mean, how did she know about it? If it wasn't from you…" She trailed off.

"Of course, it wasn't. I never break my promises." He answered solemnly but he knew well that what he was about to say, would shake her once again. He hated to do it to her but he knew he had to tell her. "It was my dear twin brother, again."

"Michael?" Chloe started trembling, the whole world was spinning around and she couldn't control it. She went as white as a sheet. Lucifer noticed the sudden change in her and feared she would faint and collapse to the floor. He rushed to her side, took one of her hands and gently caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes in an instant and gladly leaned in his touch.

"Darling, are you okay?" He asked full of concern.

"Yeah, Lucifer. I'm fine."

"Well, you surely don't look fine to me."

"No, really." Chloe said and took a deep breath. "So, Maze was angry at you for not telling her about Lilith?"

"Yes, she told me my promise was more important to me than her."

"Lucifer, she was hurt. That's why she had done all those dreadful things. You have to understand her."

He studied her intently and he smiled weakly. "That's why I love you so much, Chloe. That passion of yours and the ability to see good in somebody who seems deprived of it." He took her in his arms again. "All right, I will try but I don't promise anything." He winked at her.

She sighed with content. Being in Lucifer's arms and hearing the steady rhythm of his beating heart made her calm down right away.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"You're welcome." He said in a low voice. "Are you feeling better now?" She nodded against his chest. "Are you up for this dinner? If not, we can skip it and just stay here. I will certainly come up with something interesting to do." His voice sounded very suggestively. He kissed her hair and started stroking her back, his hand moving lower.

"As much as I would love it, you and I know that we shouldn't skip this dinner. It may be the only chance to set things straight with your father." She stepped away and looked at him.

Lucifer sighed. "You really believe that after all this time, there's any chance of reconciliation with my dad?"

"Yes, I think you're the closest to that since from the beginning of your conflict. He made the first step, he came here in person. Don't forget it."

They looked at each other. His face reflected insecurity but also a little bit of hope. She vowed to herself that she would do anything she could to make that happen. He deserved peace after all.

"And besides, we can't stand Linda up. Without me, she would be the only mortal there." She laughed and soon he joined her. She loved seeing him so cheerful, it was so rare these last few days.

"You're right," he said between laughs, "and don't forget Linda's specialty – her famous roast turkey with orange glaze. I wouldn't skip that one."

"Yeah, me too." Chloe agreed.

"Well, I should probably be going. Dan will be here soon and I don't want my presence here set him off again. He'll most likely need more time to come to terms with…," he paused and glanced at Trixie's bedroom door, "this whole situation." He finished lowering his voice. "So, I'll pick you up at five thus we'll have an hour's time before the dinner."

"Okay." It was all she said.

He came closer, bend down his head and brushed her lips. She gladly kissed him back, deepening the kiss. They became so engrossed in each other that they didn't notice Trixie looking and listening eagerly through the gap of the slightly opened door.

She was so proud of herself, now she knew the time and place of this dinner. What is more, she also learned that her dad may know something and that he's still coping with it. A broad smile appeared on her face, a couple more hours and she'll find out everything.

Meanwhile, Chloe and Lucifer had to finally break apart, each panting for air.

"After this dinner, I promise I'll give you as much relax as I could." He said with a smirk.

"Mhmm, I can't wait." She said seductively and he couldn't help but crush his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. She purred into his mouth.

"If you don't stop doing that, I won't be able to leave." He said under his breath and rested his forehead on hers.

"Lucifer, I don't have the power of holding you here." Chloe stated, wearing an innocent look on her face.

"Oh, you have no idea how much power you've got over me." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath leaving goosebumps on her skin.

If it wasn't for Trixie, who knows what would happen? She emerged from her bedroom, came to them and put her backpack on the counter top. They suddenly jumped from each other.

"I'm ready, mommy. Is dad here?" She said at the pair in front of her who seemed extremely embarrassed.

Chloe quickly recovered. "Not yet but he'll be here soon."

"Right." Now it was Lucifer's turn to come round. "I have to go now. Bye, child." He said and ruffled Trixie's hair. She giggled at his action.

"Bye, Lucifer."

"I'll walk you to the door." Chloe stated and took his hand in hers. He smiled at the gesture and he gave her hand a little squeeze. They stopped at the door, both of them not wanting to part just yet.

"Goodbye, Detective."

"Goodbye, Lucifer." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. Reluctantly, he loosened his grip and let go of her hand. He turned and walked through the door. She closed it behind him and sighed. She had a feeling it would be a long day.

Writer's note: I have no idea why I first chose Walt Disney for this chapter but then I started researching him. I came across the story about his mother's death and how he blamed himself for it and how it probably affected his work, then I knew I could use it in my story.

So, thanks again for reading and see you soon.