Sorry I haven't posted this on time like I wanted to. I've been busy and haven't had much time to work on the next chapter. However, I do have some scenes for later in the story written out, so there's that. Again, a big thank you to those that reviewed, favorited, and followed this fic. You guys rock!

Edit because I am an idiot that keeps forgetting this: You can contact me on Tumblr if you want at charbonnes-writing-sanctuary where I can pretty much answer whatever, or if you just wanna follow the stuff I post there! I promise I won't bite!

Chapter 3

His Own Personal Jack the Ripper

Chloe couldn't believe she was back near the same crime scene as earlier that day, except that Maze had called in to report she'd found another body. One that she hadn't caused. So far, nothing that anyone could see was pointing toward anything but foul play. The gun they'd found had already been bagged and sent to Ballistics to be examined, but the body was causing its own brand of confusion.

"I just can't explain it." Ella walked around the body to examine the head carefully. "No sign of trauma, no marks to suggest anyone tried to twist this guy's head off. It's like he snapped his own neck."

"You're sure?" Chloe looked toward Lucifer, who was even now talking to Maze. She'd called it in, but had claimed that there was no trail to follow, and considering that she was the best bounty hunter on payroll, that had to be impossible. "This can't be something natural right?" Because Chloe and natural had parted ways years ago the minute she'd met Lucifer.

Ella shook her head. "Look, normally the amount of force needed to snap someone's neck would be evident around the site." She pointed toward the victim's neck. "Like bruising around his spine, evidence he was in a chokehold across his throat, or even bruising on his face if someone had grabbed his head to do it, but there's a big fat load of nada. It's like it just randomly snapped."

Chloe sat back on her heels, hands clasped in front of her as she tried to picture what happened. Maze had given her statement, and considering how long ago the area had been searched and the victim had been dead, it meant that she hadn't had time to kill the man and leave it. The body was almost a week old, and Ella had already said that the body hadn't been dumped here, which meant that it had to have happened not long after the shooting.

"Whoa, here's something different." Ella was back to crouching down and examining the area around the body's head.

"What's different?"

Ella took out a tool to scrape around the area of the guy's face. "I'm not sure, but there's some kind of yellow residue on the ground here." Placing the sample into a bag, she looked around the body carefully. "I don't see any other yellow, which means it might have been something he ingested?"

Chloe studied the ground Ella was working on. "But that doesn't explain the broken neck."

"No it doesn't," Ella agreed, "but if it was some sort of drug, then maybe the guy had a seizure so bad that he snapped his own neck? Only way we'll know if he was on something is a tox screen."

"Let me know what comes up." Chloe was already standing and watching Lucifer and Maze. She suspected that it had everything to do with Gabriel, but if she couldn't explain it, then Lucifer might know something on the supernatural side of things. "I'm going to talk to Maze again and see if she can remember any details."

"I've gotta say," Ella started, looking at the body and shaking her head, "This whole thing? Totally messed up. I mean, if this is the same guy that murdered Lucifer's brother, then why did he die right after him?"

"I don't know." Chloe moved past Ella, already watching as Maze walked away and Lucifer turned to regard the body. She could tell he was thinking something over, but what, Chloe couldn't even hazard a guess. "Did she say anything else about what she found?"

Lucifer shook his head. "No. Maze is especially skilled, and there's nothing that could have stopped her from her job. That something managed to leave no trace of where they went, that's disturbing. However, she did mention that whatever killed that cretin possibly wasn't from around here."

Chloe frowned. "Wasn't from around here? You mean like…" She didn't want to say it. Not because she was afraid or anything, only because part of her didn't want to believe it. "Like your kind of around here?"

Lucifer shook his head. "No. Angels can't kill humans. It's Dad's rule."

"But-" Her mouth shut with a snap as she avoided saying what she already figured. That Lucifer had killed Pierce. However, saying that was likely to get Lucifer into a lot of trouble, and as nobody had an explanation for how Pierce had died exactly, everyone was in the dark as to what really happened a week ago. "Could it have been…?" She gestured in the direction Maze went, completely unsure what she could say where Maze was concerned and not wanting it spread around.

"You mean Maze? She has an alibi for her whereabouts, and any other demon would need to be brought up by me." Lucifer frowned. "No one else can command them."

"Oh." Well, that took off the table the idea of either Heaven or Hell. Also, it hadn't really occurred to Chloe that Lucifer actually ruled Hell. Not quite. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. "Well, there's nothing that we can find, at least nothing concrete. Ella's got some samples for the lab, so maybe she'll be able to get information from that."

Lucifer nodded, seemingly distracted. "Perhaps."

Chloe noticed it immediately. "What?"

"It's just a theory Detective. One I need to find out about."

"And this theory is?"

"I need to ask someone how demons work in his world."

Linda sat staring at her current company. Sure, she said she would help Lucifer with his brother, but she didn't mean it like she was going to play babysitter. Which, technically, that's why Lucifer dropped Gabriel off, like he needed someone to watch his younger brother. Gabriel had taken it in stride well enough when Lucifer came by with him. That is, up until Lucifer left. Gabriel had snorted like a teenager and proceeded to plop down on her couch, completely heedless of the fact that he might have been proving Lucifer's point for him about Gabriel's maturity level.

"You know, I'm probably a few millennia older than him."

Linda looked back down at her desk, busy with a patient file. "Uh huh."

"I mean, when I was created, I had to fight against a literal goddess. Before the beginning of time." Gabriel snorted. "The Big Bang hadn't even happened yet because Dad kept trying to create and The Darkness just kept destroying whatever He made."

Linda blinked and looked up. Gabriel had somehow gotten ahold of a Snickers and was munching away on it, gesturing with the bar of candy any time he wanted to make a point. "But like, did anyone actually try and thank us for it? Oh no. Lucifer got thrown into the Cage, Rafael and Michael went uber-militant, and Dad just…" Gabriel mimicked an explosion with his hands. "Poof. Gone. I mean, is it any wonder why I ran away?"

Linda frowned. Okay, this was a completely different scenario from what Lucifer described as the beginning of the universe. Maybe Gabriel's statement about not being from this reality had some weight. "And why did you run away?"

Gabriel canted his head to the side and locked gazes with her. "Because all anyone was doing was fighting. Like, imagine Thanksgiving dinner, and your Uncle Larry showed up. Only, Uncle Larry was hopped up on drugs and everyone argued with him about how he was hopped up on drugs."

Linda had a feeling that this 'Uncle Larry' was basically Lucifer, but she didn't say that. "No one tried to help this Uncle Larry?"

Gabriel snorted. "Can't help someone that doesn't want help. Isn't that one of the things you're taught in medical school?"

"Well, yes," Linda began, "but the first thing you always should do is extend a hand to help. If they don't take it, then you can't force it on them. That still doesn't negate the fact that you have to offer the help."

"Yeah, but Luci never wanted the help. He just complained about how he was wronged and that he was always right." Gabriel took another bite of the candy bar and pointed it at her. "He didn't even care about humanity. Dad's creation. He wanted to tear it all down."

"And you think he was wrong to do so." It wasn't a question. It was a statement that Linda was sure was correct.

Gabriel nodded firmly. "Yeah. He wanted to show Dad how flawed humans were and kept corrupting them. I mean, he tortured Lillith into becoming a demon, gave the Mark to Cain, seduced Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, and on and on. It's no wonder Dad had Michael cast him into the Cage. I'm just shocked that He waited so long to do it."

Linda blinked in surprise. Yeah, different Lucifer then. She thought about the situation for a moment before she spoke again. "And who are you most mad at? Lucifer for doing those things, God for disappearing, or your brothers for doing what they did?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Honestly? All of them. I just wanted the fighting to stop."

Linda rose an eyebrow. "Do you think you might be projecting any of this onto the Lucifer here?"

Gabriel actually laughed at that. "Oh no. Luci here? He's a big kid. Like, he's eleven and throwing tantrums, but he's not malicious."

"Huh." Linda sat back, surprised. "You're remarkably adjusted enough to recognize that."

Gabriel waggled his eyebrows. "I'm remarkable in a lot of other ways too."

Linda actually huffed a laugh. "Oh wow. Wow. That's three angels now that have hit on me." She frowned and looked down at herself. "Is there something special about me that I don't know about?"

Gabriel looked at her appraisingly. "I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I'm just suffering from the fact that the last time I tried to do anything I suffered from coitus interruptus."

Linda spread her hands out on the desk and shook her head. "Well, I can tell you right now that while I appreciate the offer, I am definitely not interested."

Gabriel shrugged. "Fair enough." He then sat back for a moment before he looked at Linda again, pointing his candy bar in her direction. "Oh, I see what you did. Impromptu therapy session. Always knew psychiatrists were sneaky like that."

"Who me?" Linda placed a hand on her chest and shook her head. "No. Actually I was curious, and considering that you have a different perspective on an alternate Lucifer, it might help me help the Lucifer here."

Gabriel finished off his candy bar and balled up the wrapper. "Well, did you find what you needed?"

Linda grimaced. "Yes and no. Yes, because you gave me a perspective about how bad Lucifer could have been, and no, because his issues are much different."

"Like comparing apples to oranges." Gabriel nodded. "I can tell you, I would never confuse my Lucifer with yours. Completely different angels."

Linda gestured to Gabriel. "Well, what about you? How are you adjusting since being here?"

Gabriel pointed at her. "You're psychoanalyzing me."

"Guilty." Linda brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Here's the thing though. I know nothing about you, and you know very little about here. I figure if nothing else it could be an exchange of information, and maybe help you adjust better."

Gabriel frowned. "I'm not staying here, though. As soon as I can find a way to make a portal back to my world, I'm going back."

Linda nodded. "Fair enough. Well, think about it, okay?" She didn't say the real reason she had offered to listen to him. Something told her that while he had stated his major grievances against his family, there was a lot there that he hadn't said. Like how he had specifically positioned himself to watch the door, or the somewhat tense way he held himself, almost like he expected something to happen and was ready to act. It suggested something had happened to him, and Linda wasn't sure what it was, but only that it was still affecting the angel.

Gabriel in the meantime just leaned back, looking up at the ceiling as Linda worked. She could hear him sigh every couple of minutes, and when she looked up, he'd be jiggling his leg up and down impatiently. It was around the fifteen minute mark that Gabriel stood up and walked over to lean against the door jam. Another few minutes passed before Gabriel spoke up. "Oh, uh, good job on the stitches by the way."

"Huh?"

Gabriel shrugged. "The doctors at the hospital said that you'd done a good job. Real professional work. Asked me where I got them."

Linda gaped. "And did you say where you got them?"

"Nope!" Gabriel sounded way too cheerful for someone that had recently been stabbed and stitched back together. "Didn't say a word Doc. Your secret's safe with me."

"Why were you at the hospital?" Linda was stuck on that point. Lucifer had stated that Gabriel couldn't go to one since he was an angel. Why did that change?

Gabriel huffed, exasperated. "One of the detectives found out I'd been stabbed, so he made me go to get it documented. Don't worry, they didn't take any samples. They just asked a bunch of questions and took pictures."

Linda blinked. "Oh. Good to know."

Gabriel paced, walking the length of the room before turning around to retrace his steps. Linda merely watched for a moment before returning to her own files. Before long she heard a huff and the sound of Gabriel flopping back on her couch. A snap followed, causing Linda to look back toward Gabriel who was frowning again. "Problems?"

"One, how in the world aren't you bored right now? I'm going stir-crazy looking at the same four walls." Gabriel scowled, gesturing around. "Two, I'm trying to figure out why my powers aren't working. I should be able to do something, make stuff appear, but nothing. It doesn't make sense."

Linda pushed a piece of her hair out of her face. "Well, I don't go stir-crazy because I usually have work to do. Also, I don't know about divine abilities, but perhaps yours are recharging?"

Gabriel looked like he might be considering something before he stood up again. "I think you might be right."

"I am?" Linda was confused.

"I don't have anything to do, work-related or whatever." Gabriel frowned. "What I need is to find something to do."

Linda frowned. "I'm not following. Are you talking about getting a job?"

Gabriel shook his head and shrugged. Golden brown wings sprouted from his back, causing Linda to stare. "I'm going to go practice my flying. After that, I'll see about curing my boredom."

Linda stood. "Wait, Gabriel—" She just started to come from around her desk when he gave two hearty flaps before flying upward. Then she blinked, and the angel was gone, scattering everything on her desk. She stood awkwardly in place as she finished, "at least let your brother know where you're going."

Gabriel stumbled as he appeared on the roof, grimacing. That was the least graceful landing he'd ever had, and that included the time he'd barely managed to fly away from the Winchester's bunker. However, he attributed it less to being low on juice and more on his actual wings being physical. He glared back at them for a moment, wishing for a moment that they weren't so in the way before he focused on the edge of the roof.

Before becoming the Trickster, he'd seen how birds learned to fly. He'd watched them carefully, always eager to learn about his Father's work and what He had created. Even though God had asked for some input from the other angels and Gabriel's rather interesting take on some creatures (they always seemed to end up in Australia for some reason), birds had always held something of a special place for him. As far as Gabriel was concerned, they were birds of a feather, and while avians had different wings than his own (at the time), they both held the distinct pleasure of flight.

While the stab wound in his gut hadn't healed yet, Gabriel was more than eager to fly. He'd been cooped up in one place for far too long, and the archangel was desperate for a change in scenery. Between the fact that he'd spent too long in cars traveling from point A to point B and the hospital and the station and Lux, he felt rather like a bug under a microscope. Everyone had been keeping an eye on him and refusing to let him out of their sight. The fact that Gabriel had waited this long to break away was honestly a testament to his patience. Seriously, he deserved a medal or something.

Now, standing on the roof of a building at least three stories high wasn't a great way to start off his adventures in corporeal winged flight. He knew he'd have to go somewhere higher to get real practice. Problem was, there weren't any in the immediate vicinity to jump from. He rolled his eyes heavenward as if to say 'Gee Dad, you had to put me in timeout, huh?' He strolled toward the edge of the roof, glancing down and gauging the distance. It wasn't great, but it should be enough to get the lift he needed.

He walked back to about the middle of the roof, clapped his hands together and rubbed them, and planted his feet firmly while leaning forward. He then took off in a dash, running straight for the edge and taking a leap off. His wings snapped open immediately, catching the air and he grinned as he managed to avoid splattering on the ground by near inches. Angling his wings, he swooped upward and whooped as he managed to do a barrel roll.

He forgot about the fact that he wasn't in his own world for a bit, enjoying the feel of air beneath his wings and the freedom that came from soaring. He banked sharply, then noticed the quiet that had descended. He alighted on a six story building, looking around and noticing that everything had stopped. Closing his eyes, he counted to five mentally and then turned around. "You know, I was doing just fine on my own."

Amenadiel merely rose a brow as he looked across the roof before settling his gaze back toward Gabriel. "Indeed you were, but you seemed to forget the fact that mortals aren't supposed to witness the divine." The other angel looked patient as he strode forward, stopping a few feet from Gabriel. "I am glad to see that whatever had happened to you hadn't caused you to truly Fall."

Gabriel sighed. "Lemme guess. Luci found out I broke out of Alcatraz and sent you to get me."

Amenadiel shook his head. "Actually, I just came to check up on you and found you on that roof. It's a good thing I did, because I'm pretty sure there were a dozen humans that could have seen your flying."

"I'm used to being invisible when I fly." Sure, Gabriel might have been sounding like a giant kid, but seriously? It was getting aggravating being reminded that the rules he was used to weren't in effect here. "Why in the world would God make a rule about humans not seeing the divine and yet make it so that angels couldn't go about their business without being seen? That seems like poor planning if you ask me."

"I believe it has more to do with self-restraint rather than poor planning." Amenadiel walked toward the edge of the roof and looked down. "After all, He tests everyone, human and angel alike. It's whether we pass such tests that determine whether we're following His plan."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, His 'plan'." Gabriel made air quotes with his fingers and snorted. "Wanna know what happened the last time I saw 'His plan' in action? All of my siblings rearing to go for a showdown that would have ended the world. Hard pass."

Amenadiel's eyes narrowed. "You sound like Lucifer."

Gabriel blinked. "How do I sound like your brother?"

The other angel sighed in exasperation. "Lucifer Fell because he desired free will. Are you to tell me that Father was wrong in doing that?"

Gabriel shrugged, his wings rising and falling with the gesture. "I'm not saying He was right or wrong. I wouldn't know what He was thinking. All I know is that I don't belong here."

"And yet here you are." Amenadiel pressed his lips together before speaking again. "Whether you want to admit it or not, there has to be a reason why you're here."

"And if there is no reason?" Gabriel gave Amenadiel a frank look. "I don't know about you, but just because you think it's providence, doesn't mean it is. I mean, I know a couple of boneheads that fought against Dad's plan and won. You can't tell me that's what He wanted."

"I don't know what Father wants." Amenadiel crossed his arms, glaring. "What I do know is that I don't question what He asks of me."

"Okay then, got it." Gabriel made the okay gesture with his hand. "You know, you and Michael would get along great."

Amenadiel frowned. "Michael and I get along well enough."

Gabriel sighed and shook his head. "Eh, forget it. I understand God decided angels shouldn't be seen by humans. Poor planning on His part regarding the whole being seen thing, but I get it. Question is, if all this is part of His plan, then why am I here?"

"I couldn't even begin to answer that question." Amenadiel settled himself down on the edge of the roof, tucking his wings away and Gabriel could hear time resuming again. "I guess if we can't answer that question, then a better one would be 'what are you going to do?'"

Gabriel blinked. "What do you mean, what am I going to do?"

"If our Father brought you here but doesn't reveal why, then what are you going to do?" Amenadiel gestured to the city below. "You can't just go running off. There's a reason why you were always at His side unless messages needed to be delivered."

"You don't think I can take care of myself." Gabriel stared for a moment at the other angel. "You legitimately think that I am incapable of looking after myself on my own."

"That's not what I meant."

"No, but it's what you think." Gabriel ran a hand though his hair, turning around before whipping back to stare Amenadiel down. "What was your Gabriel like, really? Was he naïve? Did he just avoid conflict and stuck right next to your Dad? Did you guys ever let him do anything?"

Amenadiel's face darkened. "He knew how to deal with problems by himself."

"Did he really?" Gabriel gave Amenadiel a disbelieving look. "Because no offence, but I've been fighting longer than the universe has existed. Big Bang? I watched it happen. You tell me, have you ever fought a literal Goddess? 'Cause I have, and lemme tell you, it's not fun. And yeah, I avoided conflict within my family, but you know what? I did damn well on my own without help from other angels."

Amenadiel's eyes narrowed. "Gabriel…"

Gabriel snorted. "You can 'Gabriel' at me all you want, but honestly? If this is how you treated your own brother, I want nothing to do with it."

With that, Gabriel gave a big flap, rising into the sky. He didn't even look to see Amenadiel's expression, or cared if any humans saw him. He just simply needed away, and knew that taking flight was the only way he could think of to do it.

Lucifer exited the elevator to his home, sighing as he rubbed his temples. He'd stopped by Linda's office, but had been informed that Gabriel had left for some flight time. However, that had been hours ago, and Lucifer figured that with how tired Gabriel had been, he must have made his way back to the penthouse. However, the lights were out, and Lucifer frowned, looking around briefly before he walked toward a light switch.

"He's not here."

Lucifer flicked on the light and stared at where the voice came from. Amenadiel was seated on his couch, slumped over and cradling a tumbler of some liquor. The Devil cocked his head to the side and approached, brow furrowed. "Who's not here?"

Amenadiel exhaled before taking a drink and setting the tumbler down. "Gabriel. He's not here."

Lucifer only needed to take in Amenadiel's dejected expression and posture before it clicked. "What did you do?"

"I tried to talk to him about returning to Heaven."

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "And let me guess, he didn't care for your message? What a shock."

"I didn't even get that far." Amenadiel stood, facing Lucifer and crossing his arms. "I had only gotten as far as telling him he shouldn't be seen by mortals before he got this idea in his head that I was telling him he couldn't take care of himself."

Lucifer walked over to his bar to pour himself a drink. "Did you ever get the impression that that's all how anyone ever treated our brother before? I hate to break it to you, but everyone treated him like he was made of glass."

"And you were any better?" Amenadiel narrowed his eyes, brow knitting together.

"I can't say for certain other than I distinctly recall letting him in on some of my more interesting ideas." Lucifer took a sip of the brandy before giving Amenadiel a look. "I didn't insist on him staying right by our Father, now did I?"

"Well, what did you do? He didn't exactly look like he'd be even willing to listen to going back to Heaven."

Lucifer eyed Amenadiel's crossed arms and huffed in exasperation. "Do you recall the argument we had at the hospital? Gabriel wasn't willing to go back then, and I doubt he's any more willing mere hours later. If he wants to go back to home sweet home, then he'll make that choice, not you."

Amenadiel took a step forward, glaring. "He's in danger, Luci. Can't you see that?"

"From who?" Lucifer met Amenadiel's eyes with his own, matching stubbornness for stubbornness. "Unless I missed something, he's not from here. What might be a danger to us might not apply to him. We don't know."

"Did you forget that one of our brothers was shot?" Amenadiel challenged. "We don't know what killed him."

"You're right, we don't know." Lucifer set his glass down, already fed up with the conversation. "And yes, I was at the crime scene. I know our Gabriel is dead. However, I have the distinct feeling that this Gabriel is connected to the murder of our brother."

"And what made you come to that conclusion?"

"The fact that there was another body the detective and I went to investigate about a couple of hours ago." Lucifer crossed his own arms. "Gabriel talked about vessels and angels possessing people. Rather Exorcist-like, if you ask me. The body I ran into, however, had its neck snapped without any outside interference. I suspect what caused it might have been internal instead."

Amenadiel shook his head. "That's not possible."

"Oh, I assure you, it is likely very possible." Lucifer pulled a quarter out of his pocket and spun it into the air, holding it aloft with merely a thought. "We have the capability to manipulate outside forces. Gabriel acts as though he should have more power than he does. Tell me, do you know what his abilities are as far as he's concerned?"

"He calls prayers 'angel radio'. He thinks he's able to manipulate time." Amenadiel frowned. "He also said that he was invisible while he flew. What other abilities does he supposedly have?"

"Other than apparently seeing what usually isn't visible to anyone, having an automatic smite key handy whenever he snaps, and thinking he can make stuff appear using the same trick?" Lucifer rose a brow. "I haven't had such abilities in a few billion years, if you'll recall."

Amenadiel looked as though he were mulling it over. "If God from his world hadn't removed the ability like ours did after Michael, Gabriel, and you helped to create the heavens, then he still has those same powers?"

"Had," corrected Lucifer. "He had those powers. It seems as though his abilities were stripped away."

"But why though? If he was that powerful before, why isn't he now, and what does that have to do with our Gabriel's murder?"

"Because whatever murdered our brother likely has the same abilities."

Amenadiel drew in a sharp breath. "You think it's his Michael?"

"I don't know." Lucifer returned the coin to his pocket and shook his head. "Right now all I know is that he likely brought over his own personal Jack the Ripper."

"If it is another angel from his world, how are we going to stop them?"

"That, brother, is a very good question." Lucifer looked toward the window, thinking. "I do intend on finding out."

Chloe sighed as she went through the paperwork on her desk. Between the backup from her leave and the new case, or cases apparently, she hadn't had a chance to go home yet. She rubbed her forehead as she placed yet another file atop her growing pile of finished reports and sighed.

"Long night, Decker?"

She glanced up, raising an eyebrow at the speaker. Acting Lieutenant Greg Thomas. He'd been transferred to the department after the Pierce fiasco, and so far, she hadn't had any run-ins with him. However, that didn't mean that she knew what he was like. "Um, yeah, it's been a long day actually."

Lt. Thomas took a seat before Chloe, studying her for a moment before speaking. "I read your file. You've got a good record, even if you have a questionable partner."

Chloe had to agree with that, though knowing what she did now, a lot of Lucifer's quirkiness made sense. However, she had to say something since Lucifer was her partner. "We work well together, as weird as it sounds. He brings… a unique look to cases."

"Regardless, I don't see how a night club owner was able to become a consultant to the LAPD." Thomas crossed his arms. "And considering his connection with the current case and his connections with prior cases, I have to wonder if it's such a good idea."

"Sir, if I may," Chloe began, folding her hands together over her desk and meeting his eyes directly with her own, "Lucifer was the first person who knew anything was wrong with Marcus Pierce. He's also saved not just my life, but several other people's lives in the process. He's unorthodox, he's probably the worst at being sensitive to another's feelings, but he's probably the best partner I've ever had." The fact that she was having to again defend the fact she had Lucifer as a partner was ridiculous, especially since she shouldn't have had to. Her record spoke well enough on its own.

Lt. Thomas seemed to be thinking it over, however, which was better than she could have thought when this particular topic came up. "I'm going to allow this, but I am going to keep an eye on it. Anything that comes up that I don't like, I'm separating the two of you."

She sighed, nodding. That was probably the best she was going to get. "I understand. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Lt. Thomas stood, and Chloe stood with him. "I don't like the situation, and with everything that's happened in this department, I have to be critical of any prior decisions. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, otherwise I would have separated you both immediately."

Chloe nodded again, and shook the lieutenant's hand when he offered it. When he left, Chloe collapsed back into her seat, sighing and rubbing her forehead. She hoped Lucifer appreciated just how much she would stand up for him, since she had a feeling that if the lieutenant thought she was compromised, she'd find herself out of a job.