6:34 am

Everything she had been feeling for the past hour had vanished. Her heart rate was steady, her nerves dissipated into a calmness, and her mind, for the first time, stopped racing. Chloe cupped her hands around her nose as Lucifer stepped out of the kitchen. An intense beam of light angled in between them as the sunrise spread the news of a new day. Small, white particles floating in the stream of orange and pink lighting made the time feel slow.

Her hands slid down together in front of her lips as she watched his eyes scan over her. "You changed your hair."

Her right hand flew to her head as she combed over her slicked back bun. She had been up for 24 hours now and didn't know she even looked. "It's just a couple shades darker."

Lucifer cocked his head to the side, smiling at her new warm coloring. "I like it."

Chloe didn't know why she was beginning to feel so nervous and almost embarrassed. "You're back." She was hoping he was going to fill in the blanks on how long he planned to stay and that this wasn't just another goodbye.

"I'm back. It's a long story but-"

"Maze filled me in." He was surprised by this. Maybe Maze wasn't as mad at him as he thought.

Lucifer took another step forward to stand more directly in the light as his eyes softened on her. "How are you?" A small lump grew in his throat as he watched her eyes scan the ground, trying to think of what to say. All he did was worry about her when he was away, knowing he was the one that hurt her the most.

She knew exactly how she was feeling, an utter mess on the inside, but she didn't want him to know that. "Everything's good." Chloe had so many things that she wanted to say to him but blanked in that one moment. Six months of mental notes wasted. As her eyes scanned around the room for any hint of a spark of recollection, her eyes found Trixie's door open to an empty bedroom, and like being pinched out of a tired trance, all her thoughts came back to her at once.

"Trixie's good at math now. I don't know when that happened, because I know she definitely didn't get that from me. I think there's a boy in her class that she's trying to impress, which, I don't even remember her ever crushing on a boy before. When did that happen? Next thing I know, she'll be dating and keeping things from me. And then, she has this new group of friends, and I don't know how I feel about them." Her mind was racing a million miles a minute, and he could see that. He had known her to ramble when she was nervous and could have easily stopped her, but he really did miss this. He missed her voice and watched the thoughts she had been keeping in for so long pour out of her mouth as her hands flew around in the air.

"She's always texting in this group about, who knows what, which doesn't make sense because she's with these girls all day at school. What has been happening in those 20 minutes away from each other that is so important to be glued to your phone? She's staying up and watching these make-up tutorials and practically throwing out half her closet with clothes that she used to love, because 'Basil, said…' Oh! Yeah, the leader of this little cult is named Basil. Who names their kid after an herb?"

Lucifer leaned forward toward his toes, furrowing his brow, "And Trixie is the best name?" But she didn't hear him.

"Next thing I know is she'll be repping a nose ring because 'Basil thinks they're cool." Oh, and you know Maze will totally be the one to bring her behind my back or do it herself. Speaking of, Maze moved back in here, and I forgot how much of a slob she is. But she was a great friend these past months, and she's done a great job taking care of Lux. You don't have to worry about that. What else?"

Lucifer released his hands from their pockets and held the nervous, flailing hands before him. Chloe's mind rested at the welcomed distraction as his thumbs gently rubbed the smooth skin on the back of her hand. "How are you?"

She couldn't think of what to say and just stared into his eyes. Chloe subtly chewed down on her tongue, trying to prevent any tears from forming, but it didn't work. "I'm better now." As he cupped her cheek with his right hand, everything felt still and calm at that moment. The moment quickly came to an end at the sound of her door opening and Lucifer's eyes darting up above her head at the new company.

"Lucifer?"

"Lucifer?"

The two voices spoke out at different tones, excitements, and shocks. Trixie broke the small spacing between Lucifer and Chloe as she wrapped her arms around his torso. Her chin propped up on his abdomen as she smiled up at him. "I knew you'd come back!"

Lucifer's arms hovered above her, not knowing what to do until his right hand found it right to give her a few pats on top of the head. He even looked amused back at Chloe as he noticed her hugs grew taller. "This urchin has grown a bit."

"Where were you?" Trixie's voice wasn't as high-pitched and youthful as Lucifer once remembered.

"Yeah, I'd love to know the answer to that." Dan closed the front door behind him with more power than he intended causing Chloe to jump a little. Lucifer looked to Chloe for some type of help as his mouth was left agape, searching for a voice. He didn't think of what to say for moments like this and hoped Chloe would take the reigns.

"Dan, what are you doing here? Trixie should be on her way to school right now."

Dan threw the ends of his jacket back to place his hands on his hips, highlighting his holster and badge. "Apparently, you packed the wrong sweater for today and she forgot her picture form."

Chloe dropped her head, closing her eyes, remembering today. "Picture day. What's wrong with the sweater?"

Lucifer tried to retract Trixie's claws from around his torso, but it was no use. He gave into the suckling leech stuck to his body and set his hands home into their pockets. Trixie's bright smile faded as she began to read Lucifer's face like a puzzle she couldn't solve. "You were in Hell, weren't you?"

He leaned down closer to her face raising his delighted brows. "I was."

Trixie stepped back, folding her arms, feeling accomplished. "I knew it." Chloe lifted Trixie's arm to get a closer look at the sweater on her daughter as Dan rocked back on his heels with an exaggerated scoff.

"You're unbelievable. Hell?"

"What's wrong with the sweater, Monkey?"

Lucifer shrugged his shoulders playfully, placing his attention on Dan as Trixie snapped her head toward her mother in disgust. "I told you to stop calling me that!" Chloe threw her arms up defensively, forgetting how her daughter now hated the nickname she used to be so fond of. "You packed me a periwinkle blue sweater. I need to wear a cobalt blue sweater. Basil wants us all to match so we can easily find each other in the yearbook."

Chloe couldn't have tried to look any more confused. It was apparent Dan had given up even trying to decipher this new friend group. "Honey, that doesn't make any sense."

"Ugh. You just don't get it, okay."

Chloe took in a deep breath, not wanting to argue with her daughter this morning. "Go check the washer and dryer. It's probably hanging there."

Trixie spun on her heels, storming off to the laundry room as Lucifer watched her leave in amusement. "Oh, I like her now. She's got some spunk to her."

Chloe began to feel a dull headache forming behind her right eye. "It's called puberty."

"So, where were you really? Where were you that you couldn't- I don't know- pick up the phone?" Dan cocked his head, waiting for a response from the man in front of him. From the look in his eyes, Lucifer could tell he was waiting for something good enough to explain away six months of distance, but knowing Dan, there was never going to be a good enough excuse.

"Hell is known for poor reception."

"Is this all a joke to you? Do you even know what you put Chloe through? Do you even care?" Lucifer's eyes darted to Chloe and back to Dan as he tried to suppress the lump in his throat with clenched fists in his pockets. He didn't want Dan to see the look of concern form in his eyes as Dan continued to rub Chloe's turmoil in his face.

Chloe raised her hand between the two forces of nature. "I was fine."

"It's nice to know that not everything changed while I was gone. Still a douche."

Dan's nostrils flared as his chest puffed out a little more.

"Mom! I don't see it there." Trixie forced her way through the brewing storm and into her bedroom to continue her search. Dresser drawers and closet doors dramatically flung open and closed.

Chloe pushed Dan back with her hand on his chest. "Dan, maybe you should wait in the car."

His shoulders relaxed somewhat as he reached for his phone out of his pocket. "There was actually a reason I came in. A body was found on the beach this morning. Multiple stab wounds. Forensics is on their way, and I got called in." Dan's eyes darted up from his phone to Lucifer, who leaned over with interest in the case. A malicious grin hid in the corner of his lips as he turned to Chloe. "I thought it was worth telling my partner about."

Lucifer's eyes flared with shock and hurt as the word partner left Dan's mouth. Dan leaned back on his heels as he enjoyed the look of an unhinged Lucifer. "Partner?! Partner?!"

Chloe defensively threw her pointer finger up to Lucifer, trying to calm him down. "N- No. I'm not-" Her finger moved to Dan with more frustration. "No. I never said that I was your partner. I said I had to think about it."

"Think about it?!" Lucifer's chin jutted forward as he watched Chloe skeptically.

"Mom! I still can't find it!"

Chloe's headache began to duplicate behind her left eye. "Enough." Her voice cracked as she dropped a few octaves in frustration. "Trixie, maybe if you actually put your laundry away and didn't stack it on that chair in the corner for weeks, this wouldn't be an issue." Trixie's eyes lit up as she remembered her chair and took back off into her room. Chloe turned to Dan as her eyelids grew heavy. "Lucifer is my partner. Plain and simple." A triumphant smile crossed Lucifer's lips as he mouthed the word partner to Dan. "Thank you for letting me know about the case. If I'm needed, I will be there, but for now, I think your biggest concern should be how you're going to Trixie to school on time."

Trixie ran out from her room with a darker blue sweater on. "Where is your photo form?" Trixie was more alert and attentive to her mother's new tone of voice. She slowly presented the form that had cash attached in an envelope. "Good. Once you're in the car, you're going to do what?"

Trixie's voice was more quiet than earlier as she looked to her dad for help. "Put it in my backpack."

Chloe checked her watch on her left wrist. "It's going on seven; you two should start heading out." Trixie looked over her mom's shoulder to wave a quick goodbye to Lucifer as Dan placed his arm around her to guide his daughter to the front door.

Chloe watched as her family left her home as her phone began to vibrate in her back jean pocket. "I have a feeling of what this is about." She turned back to Lucifer, reading the incoming text from Ella on a victim found on the beach and that her help is being requested. She had to think about this for a minute- was she stretching herself too thin?

Lucifer peeked his head over her shoulder to read the text from Ella. "Tell her we're in. I may be a bit rusty, but it's like riding a bike."

"Lucifer, you can't come." She finished her response back to Ella, quickly alerting her that she will be there in the next hour or so.

"Why not?"

Chloe placed her phone back in her jean pocket and thought of things she needed to do before getting back to work. "Well, one- you're not ready. Two- your consultant contract expired yesterday, ironically."

He leaned forward with the devilish grin she had missed. "When has that stopped me before?"

"We have a new interim Lieutenant in the station, and they're really by the book." Like a dog alert to the sound of a doorbell ringing, Lucifer straightened up concerned with the idea of new leadership in the office. It wouldn't be the first time someone from his world tried to infiltrate the LAPD and his detective.

"New Lieutenant?"

Chloe watched as he became the one to have his thoughts race. "I know what you're thinking. I think it's safe to rule out Michael unless he's walking as a fair-skinned, red-headed woman who can rock a pantsuit like no other."

Lucifer's fears disappeared as he envisioned the woman in his head. "That's a fair assumption."

"I've already started on the wrong foot with her, so I can't take any more chances, right now." Before Lucifer could press more, Chloe quickly moved on. He didn't need to hear that the reason she was already looked down on was that she kept defending a partner that was AWOL. That she was in murky waters as her interrogation tactics were borderline 'by the book,' and her punishment toward guilty parties was more aggressive than before. She never crossed the line as her partner would, but she was getting closer to her breaking point. She felt imbalanced without her partner and couldn't help but take it out on the guilty.

"And three, the main reason you came back was for Charlie. Your brother thinks you're gone. He's concerned for your safety, Lucifer."

Lucifer swatted away the idea with his hand in the air. "My brother doesn't know what he wants. It's not his choice if I stay or go. The only person who can choose if I'm in danger or not is me."

"Maybe you should be telling him that." He wanted to roll his eyes, but he stopped himself. He knew she was right, and by the way she kept trying to glance at her watch subtly, he knew she was on edge about getting to work. This is not how he envisioned them reuniting, but he couldn't help break a small smile as they found their way back into their old rhythm so quickly- as no time had passed between them.

"Right. Then I will leave you to your duties, and I guess mine to my brothers. But, to be clear, my nephew isn't the only reason I came back, Detective." The way he stared down at her made her cheeks grow hot.

"And maybe that's something we can talk about later." Both of their eyes drew to her pocket as her phone began to vibrate once more in a more consistent tone to alert of an incoming call. She pulled it out to see Ella's name in large white print.

Lucifer took a step back to take his leave as he nodded in response to Chloe's potential plans for later that day. Before he could retract his wings, Chloe stopped him as her finger hovered over the green answer button. "Lucifer, I'm really happy you're back." His coy smile said everything to her, and he was gone.

8:21 am

Chloe ducked underneath the yellow caution tape and passed a forensic photographer in action around tire prints on the edge of the beach. Ella was crouched down over the deceased body measuring the length of each stab wound as Dan began to place his latex gloves on. "Hey, what do we have?" The heavyset man at her feet with multiple stab wounds laid face first in the sand. Claw marks around his hands proved he tried to drag himself away from the killer, and Chloe's eyes focused deeper on his last clutches for life.

"It's not pretty. Dude didn't have a chance. Graham Fletcher, 32, was found this morning by some joggers." Chloe glanced over to her left to see an officer taking a statement from a couple in running gear. One of the men was in more of a state of shock as his partner was clearly upset over the find. "He owns a private bakery, Cakeology. I think it's somewhere around here?"

Dan tried to hide his excitement as he kneeled down beside Ella. "This is Graham? Oh man, he's the go-to pastry chef for weddings. He's been number one on the Knot for four years now." Dan looked up and remembered his audience as Chloe moved her aviators down her nose so her eyes could get a better look at her ex-husband. "Not that I follow that or anything- I just- um, how many stab wounds do we have here?"

Ella documented down her final measurements on her clipboard. "Right now, I see about 23 stab wounds from this angle, but can't be completely sure. They're all over the place. The largest is around two inches in width and some as deep as six inches. It looks like they all entered the skin pretty smoothly, so the blade wasn't serrated."

Chloe took black latex gloves from her back pocket and kneeled with her team to get a better look at the damaged tissue covering the man's back. "I have to guess a butcher knife."

Dan nodded across from her as he looked at the man's waistline, trying to find more wounds. "Could be the competition- someone thinking he doesn't deserve his recognition?"

Chloe looked at the man's attire. He was dressed in black slacks and a traditional chef white jacket, now soaked in red rust stains. Graham was coming from work, either his bakery or a wedding itself. "Or a really pissed off bride."

"Detective!" Her heart jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. A voice she was still getting used to being back. The butterflies that began to fly around in her stomach moved in a quicker tornado-like motion.

Chloe stood up quickly, spinning around as she whipped her sunglasses off her face. "Lucifer!"

Dan threw his head back, annoyed as his lips muttered, "What's he doing here?" Lucifer was more than excited to rejoin his old gang in fighting the big bad, and it was obvious. He had a new suit and big smile on as he worked his way down the beach with a coffee in hand.

"Lucifer's back?" Ella's face was in complete shock. Her wide eyes couldn't leave the tall, dark, and handsome man coming toward them. But, she was in more shock that both Chloe and Dan weren't as shocked as her. "Chloe, did you know he was back?"

Dan dropped his head down into his hand, massaging his temple. "Yeah, she knew." Lucifer joined his partner's side as his free hand lifted his sunglasses to his head.

"Lucifer, what are you doing here?" Lucifer handed Chloe the coffee in his hand.

"Thought you needed a little something to get you through the day. French pressed by yours truly."

Chloe found the warmth of the cardboard to-go cup and the smell of the coffee to be comforting, but her annoyance trumped his small good deed. "I told you, you can't be here."

"Yes, but I know your mixed signals. When you say one thing, you really mean the complete opposite."

Her head shook dramatically from side to side. "I've never sent you a mixed signal. When I say something to you, that is exactly what I mean."

Lucifer cocked his head to the side as he began to realize all the times he may have been wrong, but he shook his head out of it. "You're sending a mixed signal right now. You look very annoyed at me, but I know you're actually happy I'm here to help." Lucifer smiled brightly down on her as he watched her deadpan stare soften.

"Miss Lopez, I know you're happy to see me." Lucifer opened his arms, waiting for the famous Ella hug to wrap around him. Instead, Lucifer was met with a clipboard to his head, arm, and hip repeatedly.

"Happy? Happy? ¿Cómo pudiste irte sin decir adiós? ¿Dónde estabas? ¿Sabes lo asustado que estaba? Todo lo que pensaba era que estabas muerto en una zanja en alguna parte. Debería hacer que uno de mis hermanos te mate." Ella's anger completely took over as she continued to pound down her clipboard on the man double her size.

"Watch the face!" Lucifer covered his face and chest as much as he could with his arms as he felt the wrath of Ella.

"Okay, that's enough." Chloe took the clipboard from Ella as her friend's chest heaved up and down in dramatic breaths. After taking a second to calm down, Ella spoke again.

"It's been six months. No one knew where you were, and you come back here acting like everything's okay and that things can just go back to normal?" Ella turned around to Chloe, grabbing her clipboard back. "And you. How are you not madder than me right now? He completely left you. For the past six months, you just walked around with this horrible dark cloud over your head. You were miserable." Lucifer looked down at his partner, concerned. This was the second time he heard how his departure affected her for the worse.

"I wasn't miserable. I was fine."

Ella walked around the body at everyone's feet and joined Dan's side. "We have different definitions of 'fine' then. I know Lucifer can be Lucifer sometimes, and we all laugh about it, but he crossed a line this time." Chloe looked to her right and watched Lucifer begin to deflate slowly next to her. His posture was strong with his shoulders proud and chin erect, but his eyes were going to a darker place. I guess that was the burden of coming back. Not everyone was going to be as accepting and happy, not knowing what he sacrificed.

"I knew where he was." She wasn't planning for those words to come out of her mouth, but they naturally slipped as his eyes met hers.

"Detective…"

Dan's eyes practically jumped out their sockets as he looked to Chloe. "What do you mean, you knew where he was?"

Ella was equally confused and angered by this. "When we asked, you said you were as clueless as us."

Lucifer leaned in closer to Chloe, skeptical of how this situation was going to play out in his favor. "Are you sure you want to tell them?" He was proud and willing to tell anyone with an ear that he was the Devil, but he knew Chloe was more sensitive to the proclamation. With a small nod from his partner, Lucifer began to open his mouth, but Chloe cut him off.

"He was in witness protection." This equally surprised Ella, Dan, and Lucifer.

"As you two know, I was working a personal case against Father Kinley. He believed in a prophecy that he was the next Messiah, and his growing followers believed him too. I mean, you guys were there. You saw what came of it. It was horrible." Lucifer listened with as much interest and confusion as the other two. Some of this could be argued to be true in a way, and Lucifer wondered where she was going with this. "Father Kinely had almost an obsession with Lucifer and wanted to reform the devil himself. The FBI reached out to us, and Lucifer agreed to go undercover in the cult until it was too late. He tried to warn us about the mass suicide, but we didn't make it in time. Not all members were accounted for, though. Some were suspicious that he had ties to the LAPD and the FBI."

Lucifer was very impressed with the elaborate story, and by reading the faces across from him, he could tell that Ella and Dan were as entranced. "Very clever, Detective! Yes, I was away protecting witnesses."

Chloe quickly corrected him in a low voice. "Witness Protection."

He pointed to Chloe to thank her for the assist. "Yes, that. Horrible time away. Couldn't contact a soul."

Dan rubbed his chin, avoiding their eyes as he thought about the past six months. The story felt off, but it was believable. Ella began to look incredibly guilty for her spout of rage. "How are you back?"

Lucifer looked to Chloe for that answer, oblivious to how the story would end. "The FBI continued to track down their suspects these past months. Once all were confirmed and accounted for, Lucifer was given the option to come out of hiding."

Lucifer finished and took the opportunity to get the last word in. "And I chose to take my chances back here."

"Well, now I feel like an ass. Oh, man, that's horrible. Come here, big guy." Ella took a giant step over the dead man's legs and tightly hugged Lucifer around his torso, trapping his arms to his side. He managed to get some motion in his wrist and patted her on the back.

Dan cleared his throat to speak up. "Hey, I'm sorry, man. I imagine it was hard to be cut off like that."

Lucifer looked over to Chloe as Ella released her grip. "You have no clue." Chloe put her glasses back on to act as a shield against Lucifer's eyes. He always had a way to make her feel vulnerable when she didn't want to be. "But, I'm back now, and all I want is to just get back into it."

Ella nodded, looking back down at her clipboard. "I get it. Okay…"

Chloe lifted her pointer finger to stop Ella. "No. Lucifer needs to go home. If Wilcox sees him-"

Ella shook off the idea of the new Lieutenant hating on Lucifer. "Oh, it will be fine. Lucifer always finds a way to charm the most uncharmable people. So, to finish my thought earlier- I can safely say the time of death was anywhere between 3:00, and 4:00 am. From the angle of the stabs, I'd have to say it was someone shorter. Graham is about 6'1, so I'm assuming someone around 5'10, 5'9. And I mean, they had to be pretty strong too, because… well… look at the guy." The man at their feet was very large, weighing in over 300 lbs. Ella looked up at Lucifer. "This is typically where you'd make a bunch of inappropriate fat jokes."

Lucifer lit up at the reminder of his good old days. He rubbed his hands together, trying to think of where to start. "Right…" All eyes were on him, waiting. "Why can't I think of anything? This never happens."

"And this proves my point that you're not ready to be back. Come on." Chloe looped her arm into his yanking him away from the crime scene and up the beach. She lifted the yellow caution tape and guided him through it. "Lucifer, please hear me when I say I don't want to get in trouble with Wilcox." Her eyes quickly scanned the parking lot for any new vehicles onsight. Lieutenant Wilcox was known for showing up unannounced to scenes of her choosing to do check-ins. It put everyone on edge, but she had the right to as the Lieutenant.

"She really scares you, doesn't she?"

"She doesn't scare me. I just need to follow everything by the book moving forward." His brows furrowed once more at the words 'moving forward.' They hadn't had the best time to catch-up on the past months, but he knew following the book was never her issue.

"Moving forward?"

Chloe caught herself as Lucifer pressed on, but she waved this away. "Lucifer, once we get your contract back, you're more than welcome to help, but in the meantime, please stay away." It was evident that this was something that stressed her out and made her uncomfortable.

"Okay, fine. But can I just say, your story was excellent. Almost sounded rehearsed."

"Because it was. I didn't think the whole going back to hell thing would be as believable. I had to prepare something, at least."

This utterly enamored lucifer. "You had hoped I would return?"

She tilted her head to the side, not understanding how he could think she could lose hope on him. "I didn't need hope. I knew you'd come home." He almost looked embarrassed by this as a small smile formed on his lips. Chloe's attention soon moved to the sound of a black SUV's doors slamming shut. Lieutenant Wilcox stepped out of the car with hands on her hips overlooking the beach and crime scene. Still, out of her eyesight, Chloe pushed Lucifer farther away from the yellow caution tape. "Go." He defensively lifted his hands in defeat and took small steps back to make his exit.

1:46 pm

She felt her stomach drop as the elevator continued to fly up through the floors. Chloe squeezed her phone tighter in her right pocket, trying to stop her hands from trembling. Thirty minutes ago, she was interviewing the victim's wife at her home when she received a text from Lucifer, alerting her. "911. Meet at the penthouse. Emergency!"

She quickly looked at her watch as she impatiently waited to reach the top. The time had not moved from 1:46 pm. She found her mind racing once more, and the familiar dull ache from this morning came back behind her eyes. Did they find Michael? Was Charlie okay? Did she need to take Trixie out of school for her safety? Was Lucifer okay? The elevator came to a slow stop as the doors opened to the penthouse suite above Lux. The last time she walked out of this elevator, the entire place was covered in blankets of white, forgotten. Now, the home was brought back to life, and everything was back in its rightful place. The shelves were dusted, the glass bar was relit, and the balcony doors were open on the afternoon sky of LA, bringing in the bright sunshine and views of blue skies and rolling hills.

Lucifer corrected a few items on the table in front of him and hovered his hands over a plate to gage the look of the spread. "Lucifer, are you okay? Did you find Michael?" Lucifer turned around to greet his new guest with a single red rose in his hand. Chloe instinctively collected the rose in her free hand, and double looked down to the table at her side. Her confused eyes darted from the grilled cheese to the kung pao chicken to the lemon bars. There were at least eight different dishes in front of her. "Lucifer..."

"I thought you'd be hungry."

Chloe dropped her head back, vexed as Lucifer presented the food with his best Vanna White impression. "This is not a 911 text. I thought something was seriously wrong."

Lucifer straightened his blazer, trying to redeem himself. "This most certainly was an emergency. The food was going to get cold."

All of the anxiety that pumped through her body just seconds ago began to disappear as she looked back down to the table. "What is this?"

"They're all your favorite foods. You have the palette of a 10-year-old, by the way." She couldn't help but smirk at this. When she thought about it, she didn't remember the last time she had a meal. She remembered a granola bar during her stakeout last night with Maze and an apple this morning on the way out the door. Chloe had been experiencing so many emotions since last night that she forgot she had an appetite.

"If you're doing this because you feel guilty…"

"I'm doing this because we used to have lunch together all the time."

There was something in his eyes that was off when he spoke that made Chloe want to decipher it. "Have you seen your brother?"

"I have."

The tone of his voice told Chloe he was working his way around the truth. "This morning?"

His eyes wandered up to the ceiling as he tried to think of a response. "Not exactly. Took a detour."

Chloe's stomach started to churn at the different sweet-smelling foods below her, and she began to pick at a corner of the lemon bars near her. "Lucifer…"

"Every Tuesday at 11:00 am I have my appointment with the doctor. It doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I was replaced with Daddy Issue Danielle. That was our time." She couldn't help but give a sympathetic smile to the devil in front of her. This obviously hurt him as his eyes became more distant.

"It's like what Ella said earlier; it's been six months. I know that you want to go back to normal, but that's not the case for everyone here. We had to pick up the pieces and continue with our lives; move on. It's just going to take some time, that's all."

He placed his hands in his pockets as his eyes moved their way back to her. "Moved on?"

Chloe finished off the lemon bar piece by piece. "You know what I mean. Some people moved on easier than others."

He cleared his throat as his eyes became more somber. "You know, it's okay if you're one of those people. I would never ask you, or even expect you wait- especially with the way I left things here."

She tilted her head once more, not understanding how he could still undermine his own worth to her, even with the things she said earlier that day. She could see and feel the guilt radiate off of him, and that was the last thing she wanted. "You think I'd tell you I love you and then just join Tinder the next day?" He was still surprised by those three words leaving her mouth.

"I didn't take you for the Tinder type. Maybe more Match or Top Meet."

Her cheeks turned a soft pink as she laughed. "Nothing's changed, Lucifer."

He tried his best to hide his excitement as he stepped closer to her. "Well, then. I believe we were cheated this morning of a proper reunion." His hand cupped her face as his thumb smoothed over her cheek. She watched his lips move closer to hers, and just as his lips brushed hers, a strong presence plummeted down onto the balcony. "Oh, bloody hell. Can we just have a damn moment here?" Lucifer's aggravated voice grew with enough volume to make Chloe tense her shoulders.

Amenadiel retracted his wings as he stormed through the open balcony doors. "Luci, I told you to leave!" The heat in his eyes fumed out as he noticed the intimate scene he had just interrupted. Lucifer's eyes were beginning to change into a fiery red, and Chloe looked down almost embarrassed as Amenadiel stopped in his tracks with his mouth agape. "You two were having a moment. I'm- I'm sorry." Amenadiel turned his back to the couple, giving them their privacy. He folded his hands down at his waist and continued to stare out onto the blue sky until he felt comfortable enough to turn around.

"Thank you, brother. That is so much better." A sarcastic and annoyed Lucifer retrieved his hand back from his detective's cheek as she tried to soothe his red eyes away with soft rubs in his back.

"I think the moments passed, Amenadiel."

The angel looked over his shoulders to see if the coast was clear and awkwardly turned around. "Hi, Chloe. I'm sorry about that." She gave an understanding smile to Amenadiel and pushed Lucifer a little closer to his brother. "Luci, I told you to go home."

"And yet, I'm here. Did you really think I was going to go home knowing Michael was still out there?"

Amenadiel lifted his arms in defeat. "I don't know, little brother. You're obviously eager to find him. So eager that you forgot to mention that you're staying and avoided me all day. I had to find out from Linda. You thought getting a quick therapy session was more important?"

"I had other things to do. I was going to see you today… at some point."

Amenadiel crossed his arms and watched his brother trying to talk himself out of his irresponsibleness for the day. "I'm so glad that you're taking my son's life being endangered so well."

Lucifer charged toward his brother, shaking his head. "No. Don't. You know that I want to find Michael as much as you, but we searched every church in LA. Nothing. If Michael wanted to be found, he'd make his presence known. He probably still doesn't have a plan- never has. Always acted on impulse."

Amenadiel rolled his eyes. "Sounds familiar."

Lucifer raised an aggressive finger to his brother, drawing his attention back to him. "If he is ready to go this far, then I know he will want us to know his plan before. He always loved a challenge. Loved watching me squirm, that's for sure. We can't waste our energy and strength in finding a man who cannot be found. We need to prepare for what's to come. We're both exhausted. This is what he wants."

Chloe watched Lucifer defend himself and actually make a point to his careless behavior for a change, but to watch Amenadiel soften his shoulders and drop his arms was a different kind of a pain in her. She had always known Amenadiel to be strong, compassionate, and optimistic. She had yet to see him in such a vulnerable state in which he looked so defeated. He was scared and tired. She could only imagine what she would feel if this was her Trixie.

"I can't stop looking."

Lucifer patted his brother on the arm, looking more concerned than usual. "Then, we won't. But, we need to know our limits and when to stop before we've both come undone."

Amenadiel shook his head and turned his back to his brother once more. "I still don't think it's wise for you to be here. I can't-"

"Well, like it or not, brother, I'm not going anywhere. If something happens to me, that's my choice. You know me, I always loved a little family drama. Don't mind stirring the pot."

Amenadiel dropped his head as he closed his eyes, finally accepting that this was one thing out of his control, and he appreciated it. "Okay. So, you'll help me."

"Right now? Because I was kind of busy…"

Chloe joined the two brothers at the balcony doors and put her hand on Lucifer's back. "Go. I have more than enough food to keep me company, and then I'm back to working my case." She turned her attention toward Amenadiel and reached her hand out to touch his arm. "Let me know if I can help in any way."

Amenadiel made his way farther out to the balcony, and his grey wings stretched out far as he waited for his brother to join him. Lucifer turned around to face Chloe and slowly walked back toward the balcony. "Raincheck?" She tried to be discreet as she looked at Amenadiel's wings. Lucifer joined his brother and stretched out his white wings as Chloe finally dropped her jaw in awe. Both brothers looked up toward the sun and disappeared in a flash.

"I will never get used to that."

8:12 pm

It had been one of the longest days she had experienced in a long time. Sounds were growing duller, and the lights were beginning to be too bright. No amount of Advil she took could get rid of the never-ending dull headache she had. Kicking her front door behind her, Chloe threw her bag to the bench next to her and lazily kicked off her shoes. She had to stop at the accent mirror leading to her living room when she didn't recognize the person staring back at her. Her dirty blonde hair was frayed out with loose ends flying everywhere, dark circles accented her puffy eyes that looked like they've seen better days, and her skin looked dull, dehydrated, and tired. The last time she slept was going on 38 hours ago. Dan did find her dozing off on the car ride to a second suspect's home for interviews that afternoon.

All she wanted was a warm bath, but knew she wouldn't last a minute soaking in her lavender essential oils before falling asleep and potentially drowning. Chloe settled for a cold shower and made sure to time herself, or else she would find herself standing asleep with pruney skin. Her skin was magically lotioned, her hair was damp in untamed curls, and her favorite oversized flannel was on. She didn't know if she was laughing or crying as she unraveled her bed and saw her smooth sheets waiting for her underneath. Before she could creep into her bed, the distant sound of pounding at her front door came to fruition.

Maze was staying at Linda's, and Trixie was still at Dan's for the week, but she continued to wait in hopes that someone would magically appear and get the door for her. She worked her way down her stairs and opened her front door, knowing who would be on the other side. Lucifer barged right into the opening as Chloe pressed her forehead against her closing door. She took in a deep breath to muster up whatever energy she had left for this visit.

"My brother has gone insane. Homeless shelters, food banks, catholic schools, the desert."

Chloe's heavy eyelids subsided as she came to. "The desert?" Lucifer looked not himself. His hair was coming undone from it's smoothed back gel, layers of dark circles were present under his eyes, and his white button-down was beginning to look wrinkled and beige. He was awake for as long as her, probably longer. Her eyes softened on him as he looked completely unhinged as he continued to rant on about his brother. He was exhausted but wouldn't admit it.

She locked the door behind her and passed him, continuing upstairs, knowing Lucifer would instinctively follow her. "He's gone completely mental. I keep telling him over and over again, Michael will show himself to us when he wants it. I didn't realize this until our little church tour yesterday. Did you know there are over 2,400 churches in LA?"

She would chime in with a few "mmhmm" or "yeah," but nothing profound. She didn't have the energy for anything profound.

"Shoes." Chloe pointed down at his brown oxfords, and he stopped mid-sentence realizing it was rude to track his desert sand into her bedroom. He slid his feet out and left them in the hallways as he continued to follow her.

"Maze is typically better when it comes to helping with these things, but not today. She's still not the happiest about my choices in coming back here. Can't blame her, honestly." Chloe took his blazer off and found a home for it on a hanger in her closet. When she got back to the edge of her bed, she began to concentrate harder on unbuttoning his shirt. Her fingers were starting to feel the exhaustion as they continued to slip as she pushed the button through the hole.

Lucifer looked down at her weak attempt and began to look around the bedroom, confused. "What's happening?"

Chloe forced her eyes wider as her vision began to blur from the dim lighting of a single light on her nightstand. "I'm exhausted. You're exhausted. We're going to sleep before one of us passes out." She finally got the last button to slip through the last whole, leaving his chest and abdomen bare. Chloe waved her hand fatigued, letting him finish.

"No, no-no. We can't go to sleep; it's only-" His eyes squinted down at his watch. "Why are my eyes so blurry. It's only 9:00 pm."

Chloe took the blanket at the end of the bed and draped it over her comforter for more warmth and weight in the night. "Exactly. That's almost 40 hours, Lucifer. I need to go to bed. We humans aren't built for this. And it doesn't look like you are either."

"Jetlag from Hell is a real thing. But we haven't had our moment yet."

She took a deep sigh through her nose as she watched his eyes change. They were so hurt and yet hopeful at the same time. "Lucifer, why does this moment mean so much to you? I don't need a big grand gesture. You just being here is enough for me. If it means that much to you, we have all tomorrow- after we've slept."

On top of looking tired, Lucifer began to look so defeated. This is not what he wanted for her. He owed her something big and romantic and something that would have no interruptions. He owed her so much more than he could give her. She unraveled her side of the bed and felt concerned over him standing there in deep thought. Chloe paused and waited in the silence. The temperature of the room changed. His voice was so soft and hoarse as he spoke. "I left you. I abandoned you." She felt her heart slowly break away into pieces seeing him this way. He was guilty, but she knew he had to finish whatever was on his mind.

"You begged me not to go and- and I hated myself for what I did to you. I still do. I knew coming back here wasn't going to be easy, and the reactions I got from my brother, Maze, everyone, I understood that. I hurt everyone even when I was trying to do what was right by them. I was so scared to see you, knowing I hurt you the most, and you were the only one to be genuinely happy that I was back. I don't understand. I-" She bit down her bottom lip as her tired eyes blurred with tears. He hated himself so much that he couldn't see past it. He looked so broken.

"I put you through too much to even think you could forgive me, but you do. I picked up the small comments about you being miserable while I was away. Maze filled me in on your time together. I hurt you, why can't you admit that. Can you just admit that you hate me for leaving?"

She closed her eyes tightly as a few tears went down her cheeks, but she brushed them away with her sleeve. "When you left, yes, I was miserable. The last thing I wanted was to lose you, and I still did. I was miserable because I lost my partner and my best friend and any hope I had for us. I was miserable because I knew you never wanted to go back there. I was miserable with the whole situation, but I was never mad or hated you." She took a deep breath and met him face to face at the end of her bed. He couldn't look at her as he listened, but she still held his face in her hands. "You should never feel guilty about leaving. Ever. You did something amazing, and you should never forget that. You're the most selfless person I know." She searched for his eyes, but they were still distant, on the brink of believing. "But you still feel like you owe me something. So, come on."

He got into bed beside her and watched her turn off the final source of light from her nightstand. She moved closer to him, sliding herself into his arms. Their legs intertwined as she laid her head on his bare chest and her hand over his heart. She felt his heartbeats calm, and their breaths synced together as his arms wrapped around her tighter. This was the safest she had felt in a long time. "This is our moment."

They were both so comfortable and still in the total darkness. The sound of their hearts thumping against each other's bodies and the calming feeling of their breaths rising and sinking became almost therapeutic. Their fight to stay awake came to an end as their heavy eyelids came to a close.