Guadalupe-Reyes

Christmas was approaching and the precinct was displaying tacky plastic garlands blinking in every imaginable color and playing festive music since end of November. There was a Santa Claus doll with a LED candle in his hand saying 'hohoho' and moving to the tunes and a plush tree playing an Elvis X-mas song. Ella and some of the Chicano staff were the culprits, as always.

Chloe had to listen to 'Last Christmas' and 'Do they know it's Christmas?' for the twentieth time today and getting a headache. It was going to be worse tomorrow. December 12. Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe – the Mexican Virgin Mary's appearance was being celebrated and that meant loads of food and 'ponche', and no work was done – at all. Maybe somebody would even organize some mariachis.

Ella had already set up a framed image of the Lady of Guadalupe in her lab and put vases with dozens of roses on both sides of it. It looked like a church altar with too many candles. Dan had called her 'exagerada' but somehow he liked it that she cherished traditions of her parents and grandparents.

Chloe had only put up an advent calendar for Trixie and bought a poinsettia for the coffee table. She had either been too busy or not in the mood to take out the decoration of their boxes. So far, no village on display, no holiday wreath, no Polar Express. She was constantly tired since she and Lucifer had returned from Cornwall end of October and he had just smiled and nodded knowingly when she mentioned it. As if he knew something she didn't.

Speaking of the Devil, there he was, carrying a large box for Ella into her lab.

There was not a lot to do, so she followed them, out of curiosity.

"Hi guys! Anything? Any new case?"

"Hi Chloe! No, just more decoration for tomorrow. Lu and I were just talking about 'la virgencita'."

Lucifer winced at the nickname, nothing new there. But speaking of the virgin?

"So, what about her?"

"She appeared to Saint Juan Diego, nearly five hundred years ago at the Tepeyac hill, and to prove that he had seen her she presented him some roses and an image on his cloth to show the bishop of New Spain. That is why we put white roses by her side."

"Oh, I thought it was her birthday." Chloe looked confused.

"No, no. It was her fourth appearance."

"Anyhow, I mentioned to Miss López that the mother of the Devil's son should also get a celebration. It would just be fair. Don't you think?" Lucifer beamed at her.

"The Devil's son? You have a son?" Chloe stared at him.

"Oh, are you going with the flow now, Chloe? That he is 'The Devil'? Ella giggled, taking Christmas figurines out of the box. "For the nativity scene. There is a devil figurine Lu." She searched for it and presented it like a trophy. "Tata!" There was a matching devil. Red with wings, horns and tail.

"Look at that, Detective!" Lucifer grabbed it and moved it only inches away from Chloe's face. She backed off, but still stared at him.

"You haven't answered my question."

"You are late. Aren't you?" He pulled his eyebrows up.

"Late for what?" Apparently, he was trying to deflect. Whatever!

"As I was saying. From the 16th on until Christmas Eve there will be 'posadas' and I wanted to take Lu to one. They will also reenact the nativity scenes and the devil or demons are also present and disrupt everything creating chaos." Ella turned from Chloe to Lucifer. "You will love it, buddy! There is a lot of alcohol and food involved. And we kill a seven-point-star piñata. Or two. Please come with me on Saturday! You, too Chloe. And bring your daughter. She will have a lot of fun."

"How can I decline, Miss López? Can I?" He glanced pleading at Chloe.

"Of course, we will join you, Ella!"

"We will?"

"Definitely."

"Oh, thanks guys! You made me so happy!" Ella hugged both of them. "But now get out, I have to finish decorating."