As per usual, thank you so much for all the love. You guys are awesome. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the reviews. :)
Yes, this chapter also has a lot of fluff in it, just a heads up. If you haven't picked it up yet, I love DeckerStar fluff. ;) #NoShame
Enjoy!
PS: I did take some liberty in the amenities of the Lux penthouse suite, but that's half the fun with fanfic, right? ;)
Chapter 7
"That is definitely a stark change of events from the last time a dozen girls spent the night on the tennis court," Lucifer walked into the closet, taking off his shirt, slowing down in the task when he saw Chloe by the mirror putting lotion on her swollen belly, a soft smile on her face. "Hello there," he grinned, taking in the white lace lingerie, her hair still in a ponytail.
She rolled her eyes at him through the reflection, a lollipop stick in her teeth. "I seriously hope your last group of girls weren't all eleven."
"No minors. Maze can spot a fake ID a mile away," he stepped out of his pants and came up from behind in his boxers, wrapping his arms around her, and helping to rub in the lotion methodically. His warm fingers left a trail of goosebumps in their wake as she relaxed into his chest. "What flavor are you trying to coax him with tonight? Olive? Baked beans?"
"Pickle," Chloe grinned, grabbing the stick and running her tongue around the lime green ball, doing her best to tease him.
"Mmmm…" he moaned, kissing her neck and pulling her tighter against his front. It was working.
So was the sugar. Chloe's grin grew wide as she looked down at her belly, "That one?"
Lucifer shook his head, "I think he's avoiding me."
"Week 26, girlie." She poked where she'd just felt the kick, "Just a little harder so Daddy can feel."
He sighed playfully upset, wrapping his arms around her chest, "It's because you're still calling him a girl."
"Maybe it's because you're still calling her a boy," she stuck her tongue out at him, biting off the rest of the sucker and tossing the stick to the bin.
He turned her face to give her a quick peck on the lips, "Hmm...a very sexy dill."
"Are you sure the girls are okay down there?" Chloe asked, reaching for the blush pink silk robe Lucifer had surprised her with when she and Trixie had finally, officially moved in.
He reluctantly let go, following her out to the dark bedroom, the only light coming from the city outside. "They're one floor down, Maze is chaperoning, and when I left they were bedazzling foam knives and making smores with a candle."
Chloe chuckled, "That's better than when I went to check on them. They were having some issues pitching their tents. It got a little dramatic."
Lucifer smirked, climbing into bed, "Can't say I've ever had that problem."
"Trust me, I know," she crawled in on her side of the bed, closest to the bathroom, letting out a sigh of relief as her head hit the pillow. "I'm not complaining, I promise, but growing a person is exhausting."
"More so as an angel?" He asked, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.
"Maybe a little. But I was also eleven years younger before."
"Oooh, eleven years," he teased, scratching her back.
"Says the immortal," She nuzzled into his firm, warm chest, her belly pressed tight against his. "I've been thinking a lot about that."
Lucifer's heart squeezed, realizing he was holding her just as tightly. He made himself relax a little and swallowed the lump in his throat, "Have you?"
She nodded against his chest, "Did you ever watch Forever?"
"The one with the chap from Horatio Hornblower? I was furious when they canceled that. I'd love to know what morons cancel shows in their prime. I'd put in a request to make a special circle of Hell for them."
Chloe laughed, "Agreed. But you know how his son was so much older than him and they just went with it when everyone assumed he was his dad?" She noticed Lucifer holding his breath, his hand slowing down on her back. "Maybe that wouldn't be so bad afterall. I'm not going to be around forever and...and I really do feel so much better knowing someone will be there for Trixie and the baby after I'm gone."
"How soon do you think this will be?" Lucifer meant it to come out as a joke, but found himself choking on the words.
"Hopefully not for a very long time, but think about it. You could be around for generations. Maybe help Trixie's great great great great granddaughter become the president of Mars like her great great great great grandmother before her."
Lucifer laughed a little sadly. "That sounds like Hell, Chloe."
"How come?" She asked, surprised, "No one gets to meet the people that far down the line. That would be amazing."
"But think of what that entails. Seeing so many generations born means watching those that come before them die." He swallowed hard, shaking his head as Chloe scooted up to lay hers on his pillow. He ran a hand through her silky soft locks, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Come to think of it, that will probably be my Hell loop when I do off myself."
"When you what?!"
"How long do you expect me to blunder around Earth when you're not here? I won't even be able to sleep without your snoring."
She shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "Lucifer…"
"Not for a very very long time, Chloe." He pulled her in as tight as he could, just holding her. They laid in silence, listening to each other breathe until they both gasped. "Was that?"
"You felt that?!" She squealed, eyes sparkling.
Lucifer moved his hand down to her belly, grinning from ear to ear and looking completely taken aback. "What do you know? There is someone in there."
Chloe lifted up the duvet to see where Lucifer's hand rested, "Nice job Sammy!"
"Sammy?" he froze, his blood running cold.
She shrugged, a little bashful. "Maybe you're right. It could be a boy, and Sam works for either. Samantha or….Samael…?"
Lucifer forced a half smile on his face, trying desperately to not lose the overwhelming joy he had felt just a second before. They'd talk about it later. This wasn't the time. Chloe was absolutely ecstatic that he'd finally felt their child kick and there was no way in Hell he'd let his father ruin this for her. For either of them.
Samael comment aside, he couldn't honestly think of a time in his unimaginably long life that was as peaceful or, dare he say it, happy as this was. He laid as still as he could, just waiting to feel the baby again. His baby. Instead of letting himself go down the negativity rabbit hole his father created for him, he focused on his Detective's big blue eyes, catching the light from the moon as her lids grew heavy. He kissed her forehead, breathing in the lilac shampoo.
"Good night, Daddy." she mumbled before falling asleep, that sweet smile still on her face.
"Good night, mum."
"It feels so nice to be out from behind that stupid desk," Chloe sighed happily, sunning her face as she walked arm in arm with her partner in Venice Beach. "I can't believe Fitz put me on desk duty until after maternity leave."
"How do you think I feel, Detective? I'm working with my pregnant girlfriend's ex husband until I can have you back. Slightly awkward." He grinned, mischievously, "I do have to hand it to Fitz though. I like that you're safe behind your desk and not out getting shot at. A pregnant cop makes everyone uncomfortable."
Chloe rolled her eyes, "I guess. It is kinda fun sending you guys out to do the dirty work while I work in the air conditioning. Trixie! Not too far ahead!"
The little girl turned around on her roller skates, pouting as she rolled back, "But you guys are walking so slow."
Lucifer nodded toward Chloe, "Extra passenger, give her a break."
"She's the size of a cabbage. I'm walking slow because we're just strolling on a lazy Sunday morning, jeez."
Trixie and Lucifer exchanged the same look they'd been giving each other whenever Chloe's hormones turned to rage, "We also don't have wheels, Brat. Shoo. Skate circles or something."
Trixie giggled and took off effortlessly backwards. "My little Roller Derby Queen," Chloe laughed, mood having swung back to cheerful. "I never did ask, did you and Dan have any luck last night on your steak out?"
Lucifer shrugged, "We didn't see much. The guy's undoubtedly a dealer, but our person of interest never showed." He chuckled, "So Dan's taking over your lease with Maze, eh?"
Chloe nodded, a little sadly. "I knew Dan didn't like being in his apartment without Charlotte anymore. The Maze thing kinda throws me though, but Linda thinks they're both feeling a little left out with us playing happy family. They're not exactly intimate now, just like…bros. Maze is on a women only kick, I guess."
"Oh not only, Detective," he wiggled an eyebrow at her.
"No...really?" she snorted. "With Dan?"
"Sir Vanilla Douche himself."
The Douche's ex grimaced, "Eww."
Lucifer grinned at the woman's expression. No matter how she scrunched her face, she was still breathtakingly beautiful with her hair sparkling in the sun and dancing in the breeze. "You've never thought about a threesome?" Her glare back at him answered his question. "Not even with another man? Ryan Reynolds? Sam Heughan? That Jason Moomoo fella?"
"Is this my list or yours?" she laughed, but her eyes looked a little hurt, "You wouldn't be upset if another guy…? Down there?"
His brow furrowed as he thought about it, "I'd tear them limb from limb if they touched you, come to think about it."
The rage in his eyes reflected in hers as relief, a smile playing on her lips, "Are you turning vanilla too like little old me?"
"I only want to do what you're comfortable with, my darling." He unhooked his arm from hers and put it around her shoulder, "Though I do have to admit, I've been dying to tie you up lately."
Chloe raised an eyebrow, pulling the skirt of her cream colored dress under her belly to fully show just how large her bump had become in the last six months. "You ass, is this a Jonah and the Whale thing?"
"Absolutely not, Detective." He shuttered, "And please leave the idea of my Dad's temper tantrums out of the bedroom."
"Sorry. I just don't see why you'd want to tie all of this up. I'm not exactly your Victoria Secret Angel type at the moment."
Lucifer stopped and gently pulled her back after she'd taken a few more steps without him, "Chloe, you are far more beautiful than any of those angel wannabes. You truly are my angel, sent directly from Heaven." She smiled up at him, clearly not noticing that he was completely serious about being Heaven sent.
Chloe reached up to caress his cheek, but her soft, loving eyes started focusing inwardly and a grin spread across her face. She grabbed his hands, holding one on each side of her belly. "Do you feel that?"
Lucifer's stomach filled with...butterflies? He scoffed to himself at the thought, but they were the only part of him he'd allow to move until he felt what Chloe was feeling. It took a minute, but finally, ever so faintly, there was a very slow, rhythmic tap against his hand. "Did he sneak a metronome in there?" he asked, amazed.
"Hiccups."
"Mommy, can we get some ice cream?" Trixie skated back, pointing to the stand and breaking the intimate moment in her usual way.
She and Lucifer both looked at Chloe with puppy dog eyes. "Oh fine," she agreed. "But just a little one. We're meeting grandma for lunch in a couple hours."
"Fun hater." He pulled out his wallet and handed the girl a fifty. "Butter pecan for me. See if they have tuna sprinkles for your mum," he winked at Chloe.
"Mint Chocolate Chip would be perfect, actually," she corrected him, swatting his shoulder.
"Keep the change!" he called after her, grabbing Chloe's hand and kissing it to distract her from the stern look she was currently giving him through her eyelashes. "Should I try to scare him?" he grinned, noticing Chloe's other hand on her belly as they walked to the bench.
She chuckled, taking a seat, "No, I think they stopped. She's just moving a lot today." She squeezed his hand, "You should go help Trixie. I don't see that ending well."
"Right, two shakes," he leaned down to kiss Chloe on the cheek, much to her amusement, and jogged over to the little girl, currently juggling the three ice cream cones and the change he'd promised her. "Need a hand, Offspring?"
Trixie shook her head, her lips occupied with the change. Before Lucifer could insist, her skate went out from under her, causing her to wobble violently, overcorrect, and send the ice cream flying.
Right into Lucifer's favorite black Gucci suit.
He looked down at the green, pink, and white goo, his face growing hotter and hotter the farther it spread.
"Lucifer, I'm sorry!" Trixie whimpered, the money falling out of her lips, "I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me, Lucifer…I'm...I'm..."
Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she wept, but no matter how much he tried to control it, his vision grew red. His face was on fire and before he could stop it, he saw his true face in the reflection of the child's eyes. Her scared, wide eyes.
Her little face contorted into an agonizing, terrified cry for help, her scream piercing his heart. He tried desperately to make it go away, but every time he opened his mouth to calm her down, to make her see it was still him, all that came out was a growl. "Trixie!" he screamed in his head, but the name wouldn't come out of his mouth. Just a deep, angry growl. "It's okay! It's me!" Nothing. He could hear himself barking at the poor girl.
He reached out to touch her, but she flinched away, finally able to move. Not looking where she was going, desperate to get away from him, she took off. Right toward the busy intersection.
"Trixie, no!" Chloe took off after her, as fast as she could, throwing Lucifer the most heartbreaking 'How could you?!' glare he'd ever seen.
He tried to go after them both, but couldn't move, his feet anchored firmly where he stood. The closer Trixie got to the street, the faster Chloe ran, and the more stuck Lucifer became. He tried tearing out of his shoes, but nothing he did could break himself free. "NO!" he screamed, "No no no!" They were getting too close and the cars were driving way too fast. He shook out his shoulders to unfurl his wings, but they weren't there.
His wings weren't there.
"No! No! No no no no no!" Lucifer shook with rage at his father, his heart pounding in his throat. "No! Trixie! Chloe! Stop! Stop!"
Trixie was still skating toward the street, looking back at him with hurt and fear in her eyes, desperately trying to get as far away from him as possible, paying no attention to what was going on around her. Chloe was sprinting now, gaining on her with a surge of maternal adrenaline.
He had one last, desperate option. In a panic, he put his hands together, forced himself to close his eyes and turned his face up to the sky. "AMENADIEL! AMENADIEL HELP! FUCKING HURRY!" He screamed in prayer.
Nothing. Time didn't slow down. His brother didn't appear out of nowhere.
Nothing.
There was a scream.
And a bus.
And they were gone.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Lucifer screamed, flinging himself bolt upright in bed. "No," his muscular shoulders sagged and he doubled over on himself, rocking back and forth. "No. No no no. No."
"Lucifer?!" Chloe sat up, groggy. "Lucifer, what is it? Honey?" She put a hand on his bare back. He was drenched in sweat, shaking, and freezing to the touch. "Lucifer?" She got up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing hard at the shock herself. "Lucifer, it's okay. Everything's okay. Lucifer?"
He was sobbing.
Her big strong Devil was sobbing, his shoulders shaking. "Are you still asleep?" She asked, backing up and running her fingers through his hair, her heart aching at just how vulnerable he looked. "Lucifer, wake up. Lucifer!"
He gasped loudly, his eyes finally focussing. He looked around in a daze, tears still in his eyes. "Chloe?" he whispered.
She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and nodded.
"Chloe?" his lip quivered as he reached out to touch her neck. "What have I done?"
She shook her head, wiping his tears away with her thumbs, "Lucifer, no. No. You haven't done anything."
"You're...?" His touch grew even more gentle as it moved to her cheek, as if he was afraid she'd vanish into thin air. She nodded, tears now in her own eyes. "The baby?" he panted, his hand shaking as he reached out to touch the bump under her robe.
"We're okay, Lucifer. We're fine. What happened?" She waited patiently, his giant, gentle hand palming her belly like a basketball as she stroked the back of it, just watching his eyes as his breathing slowly started to calm down.
When he looked up at her though, his face was anything but back to his usual extreme glee she'd fallen in love with. "Trixie…?" he whispered.
She smiled. He used her daughter's real name far more seldom than he used her own and the sound of it coming out of his mouth made her heart soar, "Trixie's just fine."
He shook his head, throwing the covers off and putting on his robe as he stumbled down the two stairs and across the living room toward her hall. He had to see her. He had to know for a fact that she was okay, but more so, he had to have her see him. See that he was still the guardian angel she'd asked for from Santa, no matter how hilarious he usually found her theory.
But when he very slowly and quietly opened her door, decorated with dozens of her drawings, the purple glow of her accent lights shown on an empty room, the only occupant of her bed was the giant green Martian from Maze. "Trixie?" he called. "Trixie?"
Chloe slipped her arm around his waist, "She's downstairs with her friends, remember? Come here." She guided him back out to the main room of the penthouse.
He pulled back, toward the elevator, "Please." She nodded, ever so slightly, taking his hand in hers and pushing the button with her other. She was definitely awake at this point, but still rested her head on his bicep during the tense, short ride down to the rec area of their home. They both looked tired in the gold reflection, but he looked absolutely exhausted.
When the doors opened, he quickly made his way past the glowing pool, full of the girls' floaties, the state of the art workout equipment from Lux's previous owners, the burgundy pool table, the pinball machines, and the single bowling lane. Chloe met him at the edge of the red and green tennis court, the slightly cool breeze coming in from the open side of the building, quietly rustling the six small, colorful tents set up in a circle around a wide, blown out candle in the center. "She's in the yellow one by Maze," she whispered.
The Devil slowly tiptoed over, Chloe going around. "It's just me," she put her hands up, avoiding the imminent knife attack from the stirring guard in the lawn chair, though she looked much less threatening than usual. "I love the makeup, Maze."
"They gave me a makeover." The demon raised an eyebrow, pointing to the bright blue eyeshadow up past her forehead, visible in the bright moonlight. "They obviously need practice. What's going on?" she asked, nodding to Lucifer, currently trying to unzip the tent flap as quietly as possible.
Chloe sighed, shaking her head and folding her arms, "I think he had a really...really bad nightmare. He woke up screaming bloody murder…crying…I'd never seen him like that before."
"Crying?" Maze smirked. "I've only seen it the once." At Chloe's inquisitive stare, she continued, "After he realized you'd seen his face."
She nodded slowly, her heart breaking at the thought of what he must have felt at the time. "Please don't tell him I told you that. He was still pretty much asleep."
Maze licked her teeth, menacingly, "So what's he doing playing peeping Tom?"
"He insisted on seeing Trixie. Whatever he saw, it obviously had something to do with her." She watched as Lucifer zipped the tent back up and joined them, looking just slightly more relaxed. "She okay?"
He nodded, swallowing hard, "Out cold." He put an arm around Chloe's shoulders and grinned nonchalantly at his friend, "David Bowie called, Maze. He wants his album cover back."
She snarled at him, "You look like you need to seriously catch up on your beauty sleep."
Chloe yawned, patting his hip. "Let's go back upstairs, Lucifer." He nodded, taking the lead and guiding them back to the elevator. "Are you okay?" she cautiously asked his reflection. All she got back was another half-hearted nod before the doors opened.
She went to guide him to the bedroom, but looked at his face. The momentary relief of seeing Trixie safe had already faded. "Come on. We both need some air," she said, taking his hand and pulling him out to the railing of the balcony. She took a deep breath, focusing her attention on the cool night air on her face.
"It was so real…"
He said it so quietly, she wasn't sure he'd actually said anything. "The dream?"
He held onto the black metal for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut. "It was just like when I couldn't save you when you fell from-" Realization struck him rather suddenly and Lucifer found himself pulling his Detective away from the railing and back to a chair where he pulled her into his lap, safe and away from the building's edge.
She straddled his thighs, sitting close enough that her belly pressed into his. He looked at her with a sad smile, but he still seemed so scared. "What happened in this one?" she asked cautiously.
He shook his head, looking down at his hands on the baby. It wasn't kicking hard enough for him to feel at the moment, but just the heat from Chloe's skin through the cool silk robe was a comfort. He cleared his throat, but his voice still came out thick, "I lost all three of you...my family."
"Oh Lucifer," she put a hand on his chin, raising his line of vision to look at her, the scruff soft on her thumb. "It was just a dream. We're all safe and sound."
He held her hand, regretfully pulling it away from his face, "It was all my fault, Chloe. I couldn't control my…my…"
"Trixie saw it, didn't she?"
"I lost my temper for a split second and it hurt her." Lucifer hung his head in defeat, gripping the arms of the chair, "That look in her eyes. She was so scared of me." He looked up, his eyes red with tears, "And then it killed her. And you. And the baby. Everyone I loved was just gone in the blink of an eye."
"That was a dream, Lucifer. Trixie's best friend in the whole world is a demon and the step dad she idolizes is an angel. Her mom and dad both have dangerous jobs. She's a tough little girl."
"Step dad?" he asked, caught off guard.
Chloe shrugged, "She calls you her step dad when she's bragging to her friends."
"She only knows for sure that I'm an angel, Chloe. I don't think she actually knows what it means, me being the Devil. Would she be bragging if she knew the truth?"
"You know she doesn't tell anyone you're an angel." Chloe chuckled, "Besides, are we sure she doesn't know for sure?"
Lucifer finally smiled, "Perceptive little human, isn't she."
The mother nodded proudly, "And loving. And accepting. Forgiving. And has you so tightly wound around her little finger that I don't honestly think you could ever lose your temper around her. Now her first boyfriend, maybe."
He chuckled, "That goes without saying." His face turned serious again, "How do you live with this?"
"What?"
"This crushing weight on your chest. The constant worry that something will happen to take it all away?"
She put her hands in his hair and kissed his forehead, "That's a very human feeling, Lucifer. It's normal to feel like something will go horribly wrong when everything is going so well. You just have to have faith that everything will be okay."
He grimaced, "No offense, but faith is not exactly something I want to mix with what we have, Detective."
"Not in your dad," Chloe shook her head. "Faith in me. Faith in Trixie. Faith in our future. Faith in you to keep us safe, even though you think you're so scary," she winked.
"Faith in your ability to talk the Devil off the ledge." Lucifer pulled her close, burying his face in her hair, just needing to hold her.
"Where are you off too, Detective?" Lucifer asked from his spot at the piano. He'd been mindlessly playing a rather dark version of Sweet Dreams that sounded more like Marilyn Manson's version than the original.
Chloe grabbed her keys from the bar and quickly shuffled the file on the desk together, stuffing everything in her backpack. "I'm going into work for the morning. The charred body from the case you and Dan are working on matched dental records for the owner's from a recent house fire six miles from where she was found. Ella wants to go scope the house out with the fire chief."
"It's Saturday," he protested, closing the cover on the keys. "Well two shakes, I'll go get changed." His heart felt like it had stopped, the scene leading up to the Trixie Tragedy flooding back to him at his use of 'two shakes'. He cleared his throat, trying to clear the fog in his mind, "We can just ride together."
The detective put a hand on his shoulder, "You stay here, Lucifer. The parents came to pick up the girls this morning so Trixie's in her room." She bent to kiss his temple as he squeezed her hand. "Maybe get some rest? You look exhausted."
He looked up at her, trying to hide the worry in his eyes, but came off as rather unsuccessful, fumbling with her bullet necklace as a distraction. "Be careful, Chloe?"
She nodded, squeezing back, "Remember Dan is the one teaching Trixie guitar, okay? He really wants this to be his thing."
"I'll only help her with finger placement," he grinned. "My specialty, anyway."
Chloe flicked the side of his head, "I should be back by lunch. Stay out of trouble."
"I thought you had faith in me, Detective!" he called after her as the elevator doors closed on her laughter. He reopened the cover and was about to start playing again when he heard quite the loud clunk of a chord from Trixie's room.
She was, indeed, practicing, but not the boring dribble Dan had been teaching her. Lucifer got up and knocked on her door frame, "Hey, Brittany Michaels, turn it down a skosh?"
"Nice jammies, Lucifer." Trixie grinned and played another chord, this one sounding much better. "What do I do with this finger again on the E minor?" she asked, holding up her middle finger, failing to hide her giggles.
Lucifer tried not to show that he was just as amused. Chloe had been getting on him about that lately. Something about encouraging her and that behavior getting passed on to their spawn. "Third string, second fret."
"And the C?" she asked, already putting her fingers into place.
"Exactly where you have them. Are you trying to get me into trouble, Brat?"
"It's not lying if you just don't tell the whole truth, right Lucifer?"
"I know for a fact that I've never shared that particular piece of wisdom with you."
"Oh you haven't?" she raised her eyebrows at him, perfectly imitating his intense, wide eyed stare. In a few years it could very possibly work.
Lucifer sighed, feeling rather soft hearted at the moment as he pushed the mental image of her face twisting in fear farther down into the pit of his stomach. "If I let you win this time, can you please dumb it down a bit when your mum's home. At least make it sound like your father is the main one teaching you."
"He's teaching me everything he knows," she shrugged. "I just want to learn more than that."
"Move over." He told Magagsy, moving the doll currently dressed in one of the leather dresses from Maze, and took a seat next to her on her bed. He picked up the book she'd 'accidentally' ordered off his Amazon account. "Ooh, excellent choice. Bit offensive."
Roughly an hour and only two small bickering sessions, sans Devil Face much to the owner's relief, later, the teacher and student both heard the elevator ding. They looked at each other mischievously and Lucifer quickly reached over to turn the amp down. "Too early for lunch," he shrugged, "Take five."
It wasn't Chloe, but both Linda and Maze that now stood in the main room of the penthouse. "Ladies?" he asked, a gut feeling telling him exactly what this was all about. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"We were in the neighborhood," Linda smiled. "Thought we'd stop in and say hi."
"Ironic timing."
Maze interjected, "We're here because your hormonal human texted my brunch bitch at four o'clock this morning and I still needed to get some things from downstairs. And I like a good show."
"There it is," Lucifer sauntered over to the bar and poured himself a drink.
Linda grabbed it out of his hand, "You're not even out of your um...are those Grinch pajamas, Lucifer?" she had to purse her lips to keep from grinning.
"I threw them on to make breakfast this morning, yes." He threw a glare over to Maze, but led them both to the sitting area anyway, purposefully taking a seat on the other side of the couch away from the chaise. "Now what did my lovely Detective go running to my shrink about?" He couldn't help but feeling a little betrayed, but knew, deep down, she had only done it out of concern for him.
"You had another nightmare?" Linda sat across from him in the chair by the TV, and lowered her voice. "I hear it was about Trixie."
Lucifer nodded, reluctantly, "Just...pause." He walked over to the child's room, peeking inside, "Not your mum, go nuts." She threw him the rock horns and turned her amp back up as he closed the door and went back to reclaim his spot on the couch. He sighed, "Right. If it will put the Detective's mind at ease, yes. I had a nightmare. Yes, Trixie was involved. No, I'm not keeping anything bottled up. Happy?" Maze let out a high pitched scoff, but continued to pace around the room, not exactly bothering the Devil as he'd had millenia to get used to her.
His therapist crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, patiently waiting for him to continue. The look on her face very accurately depicted that she did not buy his story one little bit.
"I don't know what you want here, Doctor. It was a normal day that turned about as shitty as it possibly could have. A grade A, run of the mill nightmare."
"Chloe's worried, Lucifer." She noticed his shoulders droop ever so slightly. "You're the one constantly getting on her about not working too hard or getting too stressed. All I'm saying is it would really help her out if we talked about this, as friends, before you give her another heart attack in the middle of the night."
He watched as Maze finally took a seat at the bar across the room and directed his attention back to Linda. "We were out walking in Venice Beach and the detective's child was roller skating. She wanted ice cream and when I went to help her, she lost her balance and it all ended up on my suit. My Devil Face popped out, she got scared, ended up rolling out into traffic. Chloe went after her and...there was a bus."
"I have a feeling there's more to it than that. Why don't we start at the very beginning," she gently, but sternly prodded, "Was there dialogue?"
By the time he recited his dream as line by line as he could remember, Maze had moved up to sit on the lid of the grand piano. She was only slightly offended by the fact that Linda had been talking about her relationship with Dan to his ex wife, but found herself realizing that she was right. She went quiet momentarily, simultaneously pondering her best friend's theory and trying her hardest to look like she was fuming about it.
Not feeling ready to discuss the absence of Amenadiel, it was the look on Lucifer's face when he'd described Chloe's part of that particular conversation in his dream that stuck with Linda as a place to start. "What do you think Chloe meant by 'playing happy family', Lucifer?"
The man in question shrugged, looking less relaxed than when they'd started, "I don't know. I mean she didn't actually say it, did she? It was my subconscious or whatever, right?"
"It was. But why do you think your subconscious made her say those exact words?"
He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to say something, but couldn't. Finally he attempted to spit it out, "I don't think she realizes I'm actually in this for the long haul…"
"Has she said that?"
"Quite the opposite, actually." He sighed, "Or is she convincing me as a way to convince herself?"
Linda nodded slowly, "You've brought up marriage before in our sessions. I saw the ring you were going to give to the Detective. Hell, every text I get from Chloe I think is going to be an announcement, but you still haven't popped the question. Maybe she needs that milestone in your relationship to really solidify that this whole thing is real? That you really are a family?"
"I've brought it up, Doctor. Numerous times," he rolled his eyes. "She thinks I only want to marry her because she's pregnant. She knows I would do anything for her, but she keeps blowing me off on that front. And not in the fun way, mind you."
"You bring it up?" Maze snorted from across the room. "Romantic."
"Maze."
"No, she has a point. You're the king of wooing Lucifer, you can't just 'bring up' marriage and expect her to take you seriously. If you're so set on marrying the Detective, why haven't you actually proposed?" Linda watched as he put his head in his hands, rubbing his cheeks. "The last time you had a nightmare involving her, it was because you were afraid you wouldn't be able to control your wings, right?" He nodded, so she went on, "Is this about control or…" her eyes widened in a moment of clarity, "free will? Or both?"
Lucifer looked up at her, his face still in his hands. "Linda…"
She stopped pressing, "Alright. Let's take a step back here and just…retrace your steps. Sparing us the graphic details, what were you doing before you fell asleep? What were you thinking about? What were you feeling, Lucifer?"
He shook his head, doubtful. "Do you want to know what we had for dinner too?" Linda raised an eyebrow but waited patiently for a response. He sighed, his eyes sparkling, "I felt the baby kick. Chloe had been chomping at the bit for it."
"Just Chloe?" the doctor grinned, knowingly.
"It was remarkable." He gave a small laugh, studying his hands, "There's an actual person growing inside of her that's part….part me."
"So the baby's real for you now?"
He nodded, his smile fading, "And then she called it Sammy."
"For Samael?"
"Or Samantha for a girl," he closed his eyes, attempting to calm his anger.
"Not your top choice?"
"Of course it's not my top choice," Lucifer snapped at her, raising his voice more than he meant to.
"I like Ziminiar," Maze pondered, having taken out one of her blades, slowly turning the point on her finger. "Sekhmet for a female."
The man on the couch rolled his eyes, "Why are you here, exactly, Maze?"
"Moral support. Duh."
"Wait wait wait…" Linda looked extra concentrated, holding up her index finger, a grin spreading across her face. "Is that...is Trixie actually playing Fallen Angel by Poison?"
Lucifer chuckled, beaming and welcoming the distraction. "She's picking it up quite nicely, isn't she?"
She nodded, looking intently at the teacher, "It's amazing how fast kids pick up on things, isn't it?" He just raised an eyebrow, pressing his finger tips together under his chin. "Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Trixie knows you're an angel. But she's only seen...Samael, right? But you haven't shown her Satan?"
He jerked hard away from the names she used, but they gave him the reaction she needed him to have, "I don't go by that pathetic excuse for a name, Doctor." He said through his teeth, "You know not to call me that."
"I do. But Lucifer, all of your identity crises surrounding that name...Samael...I think Chloe bringing that up to name your child triggered something in you. It's the name your father gave you, the name you've rejected because of everything he did to you." She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, "I have to ask you something, and...it might be hard to answer…"
"What?" he snapped, his stomach churning.
"Does Chloe know what involvement your dad had in her life yet?"
He shook his head, suddenly finding it impossible to breathe, let alone speak.
Linda looked at Maze, surprised at how concerned she looked as Lucifer's hands pulled at his hair. "Don't you see? Is it possible you think of your lack of choice in bearing your true face to Trixie as a bit like your fears of Chloe not being able to choose you on her own free will?"
Lucifer sighed, leaning back into the couch and rubbing his thighs, "What do you want me to do, Doctor? Tell Chloe? A very hormonal Chloe, that just so happens to be carrying my child, that she never had a choice whether she fell in love with me or not and I slept with her anyway? What do you think that would do to her? To us? She would...she would leave me..."
"No," the therapist shook her head, "I don't think she would, Lucifer. Whether it was her choice to fall in love with you or not, she did, and we've had this discussion before. There's no reason for you to hold onto this and feel guilty. She and Trixie are so happy with you in their lives."
"Obnoxiously happy," Maze threw in, grinning.
Lucifer huffed in a sarcastic chuckle, "Was this supposed to help me relax? I feel worse now, thank you. And what about the Brat exactly? Is my nightmare also saying I need to show her my true face now too? What if she's terrified of me? Even if Chloe doesn't leave me after I tell her about dear old dad's doing, do you honestly think she'd subject her spawn to what scares her? So long any resemblance to a happy family I'm holding onto right now."
"Like she's going to care," the demon laughed. "She's seen my real face. She loved it."
"She what?!" the Devil asked, brow furrowed.
"What?" she shrugged. "It was Halloween. She thought it was a mask. You'll be fine. She's a little warped."
"Lucifer," Linda leaned forward in her chair, taking back control of the conversation. "I need you to do two things for me...for you...before our actual session this week, okay?"
He blinked slowly, "And they are?" he asked, knowing full well it was useless for him to argue with his friend.
"You already know. But I want you to finally tell Chloe. It's holding you back in being truly, completely happy."
He focused on the plants in the corner of the balcony, trying not to throw up. In his head, he was screaming as desperately as he was in his nightmare. "And the other?"
"Show Trixie your true face. In a controlled environment, she'll know it's all going to be okay. Then if it does happen to pop out at an inconvenient time, like it did in your dream, she won't be as scared as she would be if it was the first time she'd ever seen it. She'll know it's still you. If anything, it's for her safety."
Lucifer nodded, swallowing down the lump in his throat, "That's what the Detective's been saying for a while. I just don't want her to...to look at me any differently."
She just smiled in wonder at the worried love in the man's eyes, "Then she needs the full disclosure. They both do."
"Because you took it so well?"
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
By two o'clock, Linda and Maze had left to do lunch, Lucifer was pacing the floor in the penthouse, and Trixie was watching him from the desk where she was doing her homework, giving her fingers a rest. "Is mom bringing lunch or can we order pizza again?"
He paused, pulling out his phone from his suit pocket for the hundredth time since he'd changed, "Something's wrong…"
"Is she okay?"
Lucifer looked up to see the little girl's eyes morph into what he'd seen in the dream the night before. He involuntarily reached up to touch his face, but it was still what she was used to. Realizing she'd heard him, he cleared his throat and tried to back peddle. "With my phone, Spawn. I'm sure your mother's fine." Not only did he have to worry about the impending doom of showing the brat his true face, now he had to worry about why her mother hadn't come home by the time she said she would. "What is it you're working on?"
Trixie picked up the book to show him the cover, "We're going over the Civil War in history class. I have to do a stupid report on Jefferson Davis."
The Devil raised an eyebrow, "Well that's a name I haven't heard for a while. You should have Maze help you with that one." He was about to sit down and thumb through her book, but the elevator dinged and opened up to reveal a particularly sooty Chloe Decker. "Bloody hell. I was about to put out a BOLO on you." He sighed with relief as she stepped into the room, feeling half the weight drop off his shoulders. "What happened? You're a mess. Are you okay?"
Chloe chuckled. Her hands, the bottom half of her face, and the silhouette of a pair of glasses were the only clean parts on her. "I'm fine. Ella made me wear a mask. We got a little too into it and lost track of time. Found some pretty interesting stuff for the case though."
Trixie giggled, "You look funny, mommy!"
"Jee thanks, Monkey," she stuck her tongue out at her daughter and tried her best to stretch out her back. "I'm going to take a shower. Have you guys eaten? I think someone's mad that I haven't yet."
"Is she kicking?" The big sister perked up, scurrying over to put a hand on her mom's filthy white shirt, Chloe guiding her hand to the right spot. She shook her head, disappointed. "I don't feel it."
Chloe ran a hand through Trixie's hair, "You will soon. Lucifer felt her last night." She looked up and smiled at him, his hands in his pockets, a goofy little exasperated grin on his face. "We'll try again after lunch. She'll be more active after I eat. Why don't you finish up your report while I'm in the shower and we'll do something fun tonight." As she took her seat back at the desk, Chloe nodded toward the bathroom at Lucifer, "Can we talk?"
He nodded, following her into the master bathroom she'd redecorated to a soft white spa, "I was just about to ask you the same thing, Detective." She was going to turn on the shower when Lucifer stopped her and led her to the chair in the corner. "Strip, Darling. I'll do the grunt work," he winked, rolling up his sleeves and turning on the faucet in the giant bathtub, adding just the right amount of bubbles.
"Not too hot, Lucifer." She reminded him, being met with a 'tell me something I don't know' stare back at her. "Right. It's in the book," she rolled her eyes. When she peeled off the ashy clothes, she grabbed the man's outstretched hand and let him help her step into the tub. As much as she hated to admit it, her balance was starting to get a little off. Lucifer crossed his arms on the ledge of the bathtub, entranced by the sight of her relax as she washed her hair. After she rinsed it out, he grabbed her loofah and started on her shoulders, "Did Linda stop by?" she asked.
"She did. Maze too." He smiled, sadly. "I didn't realize I'd scared you so much."
She opened her eyes, shaking her head and running a wet finger down his cheek, "I wasn't scared of you, Lucifer. I was scared for you."
"Regardless." He sighed, "She uh...she thinks it's time."
"To show Trixie your Devil Face?"
He gently sat her up and slowly started washing her back. Among other things, yes. "I think she's right."
Chloe's head lolled forward, completely relaxed. "I knew that was bothering you. Didn't I suggest showing her a couple months ago?"
"You did, yes."
"Mmmhm," she leaned back again when he was done, moving on to her legs, leaving a feather light trail of kisses on her shins and goosebumps behind the loofah. "That feels amazing," she purred.
Lucifer stopped, "Detective?"
"What?" Chloe asked, broken from her trance.
"Does it not bother you that I'm saying I want to show your little offspring my true face? A face that very well might scare the absolute Hell out of her?"
Chloe chuckled, shifting herself to put both elbows on the side of the tub and grabbed his face with her foamy hands. "Again, Lucifer. I know my daughter. She'll be just fine. She thinks you walk on water."
"If I could do that, I wouldn't have a scary red face to show her and I'd save a boatload of money on wine."
"You know...it's not merlot," she grinned mischievously, starting to unbutton the man's shirt, "and it's a little sooty…" she licked her lips, pushing off his suit vest and pulling the button-up out from his pants, "But we have time to kill while Trixie's finishing her report."
"I thought you'd never ask," he bolted the door, finished stripping in no time, and slid into the tub behind her, pulling her close between his legs and wrapping his arms, carefully, around her chest. "That nightmare wasn't all bad, you know. I did like that you were complaining about Fitz putting you on desk duty until after you're back from maternity leave."
"She already has me sidelined for most of the fun calls. That's why you and Dan are working together."
Lucifer sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder, and running the loofah over her belly.
"Don't tell me you were worried about me today?"
"Obviously."
"I'm careful, Lucifer," she turned her head to kiss his cheek, but jumped at a particularly powerful internal elbow to the ribs. "Ow, alright, Bud. Not always careful I guess," she laughed.
"See, he agrees with me."
Chloe just rolled her eyes at him and relaxed against his chest as his hands worked their way lower and lower on her belly, until they eventually found themselves high on her thighs. Her breathing grew heavy as a quiet moan vibrated against her neck, her back already arching slightly away from his torso. "Lucifer…"
"Shh, love." He kissed her neck, slowly wafting the bubbles over her chest while his other hand teased her entrance, carefully avoiding the spot that would send her over the edge. She rocked her hips, trying her hardest to slip it into place, the motion causing the bulge against her back to harden. The breath on her neck grew ragged as she reached around to grip his cock, playing with the pressure she applied as she went up and down his shaft, the smooth skin growing hotter, even under the warm water.
His hips started grinding against her back as she braced herself, gripping the side of the tub. She awkwardly pushed herself up, Lucifer helping to lift her into place, his teasing fingers replaced with his shaft. He held it firmly against her swollen lips, thrusting slowly against her clit. She whimpered with pleasure, her own hips digging rhythmically into his. "What is it you desire, Detective?"
"Inside…" Chloe panted, trying to stay as quiet as she could. "I want you...in...s...side."
"Mmm…as long as you say please," he kept sliding over her, feeling her bud swell more and more.
"Lucifer…" she begged, gripping his forearm.
"That wasn't please." He kissed her shoulder blade and watched the goosebumps spread on her flawless back. "Say it. Say it and I'll come inside." He gave a sexy, throaty chuckle, letting his teeth graze her shoulder as he kissed the goosebumps. "Just say please," he could tell she was close already by the sounds she was making. He had to take a deep breath against her back or he'd be done before the real fun could start.
"Pl...please Lucifer. Please," her hips sped up against his shaft and he could feel the movements becoming jerky. Desperate. He let his go just a fraction of an inch farther back and used his hand to guide his head into the right place. He let his thrusts come up short once...twice….three times more before pushing himself up into her, agonizingly slow.
She let out a loud, high pitched moan that rattled his bones, her muscles gripping onto him so tightly that he let out a sound he'd never recalled making before. "Chloe," he pushed her down as far as she could go, her moan turning into a gasping scream of pleasure that shocked them both. Lucifer reached up to cover her mouth, pressing his against the woman's back as he started thrusting harder, groaning with the exertion. Chloe gripped both sides of the tub to steady herself, Lucifer's other hand rubbing hard circles into her clit for as long as she could bear until her entire body arched away from him, riding her release as quietly as she possibly could against his hand.
Lucifer held her tightly as her body convulsed through the aftershocks, one more deep thrust bringing him to his release. Her chest heaved as she laid against him, happily catching her breath as he pulled her hair through his orgasm, turning it into a head massage as the intensity wore off.
After a while, the water had cooled down and Chloe was shifting away to stand up. Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder, gently coercing her to sit back down so he could get out first and help her. He wrapped her in one of her favorite, giant fluffy white towels and kissed her. She smiled against his lips. "What?" he chuckled.
"You don't usually let me do reverse cowgirl."
"And I don't really want to think about why that is," Lucifer looked at her sternly, but his eyes sparkled. "Though it seems I may be missing out with you, my sexy Detective. Come on, let's go get dressed. You two need lunch."
After a late lunch at Trixie's choice, the Hard Rock Cafe down the street from Lux, Lucifer and Chloe both found themselves asleep on the couch, completely exhausted from the events of the night before and their steamy workout session in the bathtub. Lucifer woke up first, a tight ball of nerves manifesting itself in the pit of his stomach. The afternoon's activities proved to be a fun distraction, but the thought of completing both of his friend's assignments put the weight of the world back on his shoulders.
Feeling Chloe start to stir, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Mmmm…" she sighed happily, squinting at the afternoon sun, flooding in through the windows. "What time is it?"
Lucifer peaked over her shoulder to look at his watch, "Almost five."
"Come on, let's get this over with." She yawned and struggled a bit to get off the low couch, but when she stood up, she grabbed his hand and pulled.
"Beg pardon?" he chuckled, if only to delay the inevitable a bit longer.
"You were tossing and turning during my whole nap. You're stressed out about telling Trixie, so let's go rip the bandaid off. Come on." She took off toward her daughter's room, but came back up the stairs of the hall, brow furrowed. "I could've sworn she was in her room."
He pulled his phone out and laughed at the message from Trixie. It was the whiskey emoji and the two dancing girls with bunny ears. "She's down at Lux."
"Great, my kid's already sneaking off to a bar. Again." She shook her head, exasperated, and crossed the room to step into the elevator, Lucifer already waiting for her.
"Relax, mumsie." He grinned, watching her pursed lips in the golden reflection of the doors. "It's early. Staff isn't even there yet."
She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her fingers on her elbow. "Then what is she doing down here?"
Lucifer snuck a reply with the red sirens and the female cop emojis. Considering the music was still blaring when the doors opened however, his receiver didn't get the message in time. Chloe cocked her head at him. "You want her to see the Devil's face, but have a problem with his music? Really Detective," he huffed. She rolled her eyes at him, but clearly couldn't stay too terribly mad as they walked out of the elevator and stopped at the railing to sneak in on Trixie's show below.
She had lined up her favorite stuffed animals in the booths surrounding the piano, the Martian and Magagsy front and center. The main lights were dimmed and the stage lights cycled through blues and purples, reflecting off her pink guitar as she sang Highway to Hell into the mic. Chloe covered her mouth to try to hide her amusement at her high pitched rendition. Seeing Lucifer full on laughing beside her she couldn't help but give him a swat to the arm, "I thought your word was your bond?"
"Whatever do you mean, Detective?" He asked, still chuckling, leaning in so she could hear.
"I was with Dan for six years," she yelled over the music, "he never got past Smoke on the Water."
Lucifer shrugged, grinning "He's been through a lot recently. Maybe he's channeling his feelings into his playing."
"Right, I'm sure that's it." She smirked, watching as Lucifer turned his attention back to her daughter. She wanted to be mad, but he was so obviously proud of how far she'd come since Christmas. Instead, she put a hand on his, holding the railing, and enjoyed the show, almost feeling guilty that the little rocker had no idea they were there.
"And I'm goin' dooooooooownnnnnnnn!" Trixie finished strong, aggressively strumming the last note in true frontman fashion, throwing up rock horns to her stuffed audience. "Thank you, goodnight!"
"Wooooo!" Chloe screamed from the balcony, grinning ear to ear, Lucifer raising an eyebrow at her, thoroughly amused.
Trixie spun around, her eyes growing wide with horror, "Mom!"
"Encore!" Her not so secret teacher clapped as she scurried around, putting down her guitar and setting the lights back to normal. He held his arm out for Chloe to loop hers through and they walked down to the makeshift stage. "Glad to see you have a fallback if the Presidential race on Mars doesn't go the way you wish, my musical Brat."
She just blushed, thoroughly embarrassed, looking at her mom. "Sorry."
"For what? Trixie, that was amazing. I'm glad you found something you want to keep up with." She let go of Lucifer and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I'm so proud of you. Maybe not for sneaking down to the club though. We'll talk about that later."
"Fine," she sighed, hugging her mom around her belly, looking back at Lucifer and mouthing, "does she know?"
He shrugged as subtly as he could, but found his mouth growing dry at the thought of what was coming. He cleared his throat, resisting the urge to pour himself a drink or light up a cigarette. "We need to talk, Spawn."
"Aww, he's just helping Dad teach me. He's not taking over or anything," she protested, looking up at her mom. "Don't be mad at him."
Chloe looked at him from under her eyelashes as if to say, 'I knew it'. "It's not about that, Bug. We just have something else we need to talk to you about."
Trixie looked thoroughly confused, "You're already pregnant. What else is there? Twins?"
Both Chloe's and Lucifer's eyes grew wide at that. "Dad, no." Lucifer mumbled, motioning for the two ladies to follow him over to an empty booth. He took a seat on the ottoman across from it, "No, there's something we need to tell you about me."
Trixie sat down in Chloe's waiting arms, "Is this about the uh…" she whispered, forming her hands into a circle above her head in a halo.
Lucifer chuckled, a little sadly. "More like um…" he cautiously put both hands up to his head, index fingers making the stereotypical horns he'd tried so hard to get away from.
"Well yeah," the little girl shrugged, "I mean your name is Lucifer, dude."
Chloe tightened her grip around her daughter, giving Lucifer a reassuring nod. He took a deep breath and nodded back, a sad, small smile on his face. "You say you believe me that I'm the Devil, but I need you to see me. Just...just so you know it's still me if you ever...experience it. I don't ever want it to scare you, alright?"
Trixie looked up at her mom, apprehensively. "It's okay, Baby," she kissed the top of her head, her heart racing. As sure as she was that she'd be perfectly okay with it, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of mom she was, letting the Devil himself be such a huge part of her child's life. Her children's lives.
Trixie nodded, looking back at Lucifer. "Lay it on me."
"Chloe?" he waited for her grab the girl's hand, took a deep breath, and concentrated on whatever he could to work himself up enough to let his true face come through. He couldn't discern whether it was nerves or the usual transformation process that was causing his heart to thud in his ears as his vision grew red. He couldn't recall ever noticing that before.
Seeing Chloe steady herself made his already pounding heart squeeze painfully in his chest, but when he finally took the chance to lock eyes with her daughter, he could let the breath out he'd been holding. "Trixie?" he tested, noticeably not barking like he did in the nightmare.
Her eyes were wide, but not in the way his subconscious had seen it. This time, they were accompanied by a grin as her jaw hit the floor. "Cool!" She wiggled out of Chloe's grip, not hesitating for a second to walk over to Lucifer, reaching out a cautious hand. "Is it hot?"
"Trixie-"
"It's fine, Detective." It felt completely unnatural to genuinely smile in this face, but he grabbed the little girls hand, hyper aware of his strength in his current form, and gently placed it on his cheek. "A little."
She studied his face, tracing the red, scaly ridges with her finger before kissing him on his other cheek. "Coolest step dad ever."
Chloe chuckled from her spot on the booth, noticeably breathing easier when the man's angelic face returned. "Told you," she mouthed at him, his relieved smile giving her butterflies in her stomach. "You okay, Trix?"
She just nodded, the man still holding her small hand on his cheek. "You took that better than your mum," the Devil teased, letting go.
The mom rolled her eyes, smiling as she stood up and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Sammy's playing soccer with my bladder," she stretched, patting her belly. "I'm gonna go upstairs and let you two talk, okay?" She leaned over to give Lucifer a quick peck on the lips before heading up the stairs and getting on the elevator.
Lucifer took a deep breath, mentally adding the conversation about her insistence on calling the baby 'Sammy' to his list of uncomfortable to-do's, the little girl still standing between his knees, "Are you sure you can truly accept me for who I am, Trixie? Because if you're not, I do have to respect that. Understood?"
"Can I take you to show and tell?"
"You know the deal. Divinity is too powerful for humans." She raised an eyebrow at him, "Most humans. Our little secret, alright? Just like my wings." Trixie nodded, throwing her arms around his neck. He sighed as he hugged her back, having hoped to feel more relieved than he did.
"I hope you're happy." Lucifer snarled at the sky from where he stood on the balcony, his words dripping with disdain. It was late and sleep had eluded him all night. If he closed his eyes, his imagination ran away with mental images of Chloe packing up her things and leaving, never to let him meet their child. If he watched her sleep, just listening to her quiet snore, his stomach turned with guilt. Instead of disturbing her much needed rest with his constant tossing and turning, he got up, threw on his robe, poured himself a drink, and after a few cigarettes, decided to vent his anger at the celestial being causing it all.
"Is this all part of my punishment, Dad? Make me unimaginably happy and tear it all away when I try to do the right thing by telling Chloe none of it was ever up to her?" He took a gulp of his drink, but it did little to calm his nerves. He was still shaking as he shrugged, "She does have to know though, doesn't she. It's not fair for her to never know the whole truth.
"Or is it going to be more like my nightmare? You'll decide when I'm at my happiest and rip my family away when it would hurt the most. Seems like something you would do." He shook his head, fuming. "How could you?!" he yelled up to the heavens, squeezing his glass until it cracked and he threw it as hard as he could over the railing. "How could you put anyone in this situation. How do I tell her?!"
"Tell me what?" Chloe stood at the glass doors, the glow from the fire pits dancing on her worried, tired face.
"How long have you been standing there?" Lucifer jumped, turning around. "What are you doing awake, Detective?"
"Trixie climbed into bed after you got up. Finally felt the baby kick," she smiled, cradling her bump. "What's going on? Everything okay?"
"No," he smiled sadly. "Because everything's perfectly fine."
She walked over to him, noticing the tears in his eyes. "I told you, Lucifer. You have to have faith that everything will be okay. I know this whole family thing is terrifying, but you have to focus on the good parts."
He shook his head, caressing her cheek, "It's not that, Chloe. There's um...there's something I haven't told you."
"Tell me, Lucifer. Whatever it is, I can take it. Tough as nails, remember?" she smiled, trying to cheer him up.
He took a deep breath, just looking into those big blue eyes he'd fallen so completely in love with. "Do you recall what I'd said when you asked if you'd be the next Virgin Mary?" She blushed, "After that. About Amenadiel."
"You said I should ask Amenadiel if she was actually a virgin or not." Her eyes grew wide, "Are you saying he's Jesus's dad?! I mean I knew Jesus was black but..."
"No," he put a hand up, steering the conversation back, "No. He wasn't the one to bless Mary, but...but he was given that task once before. Back in 1982." Lucifer paused to let it sink in for his detective, but she didn't quite put two and two together just yet. "He was to find a young, cheesy sci fi actress that wasn't able to give her cop husband a child. Dad sent Amenadiel to bless...Penny Decker...so that she could have John Decker's child."
Chloe's brow furrowed as she bit her nail, "Blessed Pen...my mother? Wh-what do you mean? What are you saying?"
"I'm saying," he paused to swallow down a sudden wave of nausea. "You're...you are, in every sense of the word, a miracle."
"Why?" she finally squeaked. "Wh...why me? Does...does Amenadiel do that often? Is that how…?" she looked down at her swollen belly, her face white.
Lucifer carefully put his hands on her arms, covered in the silk fabric of her robe, "No. No, that was us. He's only done it the once, but...I think you were put here, specifically to cross paths with me. I don't know why He ordered my brother to put you here, but...I've never told you why you were special, why my Devilish charms don't work on you. Why I can't bring out your innermost desires the way I can everyone else's. I don't understand it completely myself, but I think it's because my Dad put you here...for me, Chloe." A tear rolled down his cheek as he shook his head, the look in his eyes pleading for her understanding. "And I should have told you before...everything," he covered the hand on her belly with his, "but I just couldn't stay away from you. It's...magnetic...and I was so...so afraid that if you knew you didn't have a choice-"
"Is this what you were trying to tell me the night we got the call about Charlotte?" She interjected, putting a finger on his lips, "You kept saying something about how I was choosing you."
"But I don't know if that choice was up to you or not. That's why I ran off to Vegas. I think...I think my dear old dad may have been manipulating you from the very beginning so that you and I…"
Chloe shook her head, taking a deep shaky breath, "What did you mean by your punishment, Lucifer? Do you…do you honestly feel like I'm your punishment?"
"No," he half laughed, half choked down a sob. "No. Not you. But what my father might do to you...to...take you away from me."
She cocked her head, running her fingers through his hair, "Why are you so convinced that He put us in each other's paths for something malicious? Isn't it possible that maybe...I don't know...maybe it's for something good?"
He pulled away, "You don't know my father, Chloe."
"I don't. But I'm a parent. Come here." She grabbed his hands and put one on either side of her belly, the baby almost instantly jabbing her where she'd placed his right hand. He smiled. "You are going to find out very soon that the only thing that truly matters is doing what's best for your child. You would do anything to make sure he's happy and healthy and safe. And loved. What if your dad did that for you with...with me?"
He looked into her eyes, her's just as brimmed over with tears as his own. "But you didn't have a choice…"
"No one gets to choose who they fall in love with, Lucifer. Besides, you told me what Father Frank told you...about your story not being over. Yes, your dad sent you to Hell. He made you do terrible, awful things that he didn't want to do himself. He gave you the ultimate bad reputation, but maybe…" she trailed off, trying to collect her words. "It's not like this isn't something you've already thought of yet, but my grandfather was a Mason so my grandma joined the Eastern Star. And I keep thinking about her old books I used to sneak peaks at. East… Sunrise… Morning… Morningstar. So….so I found one in a box of her old stuff." She chuckled at herself, "It dawned on me why Lux is Lux, but one of their things is Fiat Lux. To make light."
Lucifer nodded, "I'm the light bringer, right. Look, Chloe…"
"But the Eastern Stars...the Morning Stars...they are to bring the light to the world. To make the world a more beautiful place. You keep thinking like your dad's plan for you is only about punishment, but what if it's beauty? What if part of his plan for you all along was bringing our baby into the world. Okay, so he had to bless my mom to have me so I could cross paths with you, but that just means you and I were needed to create little Sammy here. What if he's an elaborate apology from your dad?" she smiled, searching his eyes for even the slightest hint of agreement. Instead, he winced. "Not Sammy?" she chuckled. "I'm sorry. I didn't really think that through."
He shook his head, rubbing the soft silk under his hands, "Not Samael."
"Okay, we'll go back to the drawing board," she reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Is this why you've been so quiet tonight?" He nodded. "I've seen your true face, Lucifer. I let my kid see it. Did you really think finding out I'm a miracle was going to end everything we have here? After everything we've been through?"
The weight of the world was finally off his shoulders and he was truly able to relax, "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered, unable to say it any louder. He didn't say it often, but every time he did, those three little words sent shivers down Chloe's spine and set her heart on fire. "Come back to bed? Even though the miracle's kid is kinda passed out in there now?"
He grinned, "That's going to be a thing now, isn't it?"
"It's not every day you learn you're a miracle," she shrugged, taking his hand. "Come on." Before she opened the door, she started chuckling, "I'm surprised your glass didn't hit a cat like in the movies."
Lucifer just smiled, feeling more at ease than he had since seeing that damn picture of his brother and, practically, mother-in-law at that bar. "Did she have a nightmare too?" he whispered, half teasing, seeing Trixie sprawled out under the covers. "Needed her mum after seeing the Devil?"
Chloe carefully moved her over to her side and scooted in beside her, "So she crawls into his bed?"
"It's your gravitational pull." He was met with a rather dark glare as he crawled in behind her. "Perhaps I should rephrase that?" he chuckled, putting an arm over her, reaching over to very gently move the hair from Trixie's face, resting his chin in the crook of the blond's neck. "Thank you, Chloe."
"For what?"
"For having so much faith in me." He chuckled, "And for finally calling the baby a 'he'."
Sorry this chapter got soooooo long. There were actually going to be two more sections, but I finally just had to find a place to wrap it up before it got to be 40 pages long! Hope you liked it and stuck around for the whole thing. Please review! ;)
PSA: Season Four in 9 days, guys! That won't change where this story is going, since this is a continuation of season three, but it may delay the next chapter a little bit if I don't have it done before then. :)