The detective cautiously sneaked through the empty, dark warehouse, trying to remain in the shadows and avoid the dim lights of fluorescent lamps. Flattening herself to the wall, she corrected the grasp on her gun and risked leaning out of the corner. There was nothing but long, empty passages of semi-darkness. The shelves and crates around her were ordered in strangely unsettling rhythm, the rectangular shapes bringing some unpleasant, but imperceptible associations. Very slowly, she made moved forward and, surprised that her step didn't cause any sound, looked down.

There was no concrete under her feet, only the ground covered with a soft layer of ash.

"Lucifer!" she called, forgetting that she was meant to be cautious. "Lucifer!"

"Chloe," he acknowledged, emerging from one of the passages and the detective took it as the first hint that something was not right here because he never used to address her by her name.

She looked around, feeling her panic rising. The shelves around her transformed into blurry shapes of the rocky, grey countryside, the paths of the labyrinth stretching to the horizon, the dark clouds taking place of the industrial ceiling of the warehouse…

"I don't know where we are," she said to her partner. "I don't know what are we doing here." Now she understood it must have been a dream. In the real life, she never felt so helpless.

Lucifer looked around and slowly the space around them became brighter, this time lit with a friendly, white light, not with the weak flicker of the warehouse lamps. "Better now?"

"Yes," sighed Chloe with relief. She saw again the metal frames and wooden shelves, filled with boxes, and there was a concrete floor under their feet. As far as the white light reached, there was a familiar warehouse. Behind that, in the semidarkness and shadows, she saw the contours of the labyrinth and dark clouds over the horizon. However, accepting that she was dreaming, she didn't question anything, just revelled in the light and in his company.

"What are we doing here?" she repeated the question.

"That depends on you," replied Lucifer, relaxed and uncaring, as usual. "We can leave if you want. Do you want to leave?"

"I do not know what I want," said Chloe, the sentence she would never she would while awake. "You tell me." She rested her hands on Lucifer's arms and looked him in the eye, waiting for him to read her soul.

"That would be too simple," he smiled shaking his head, but still eagerly pulled her closer.

Their eyes met. No inexplicable need to confess her desired appeared in her mind, but still, she was getting lost in his sight. He had beautiful eyes, so warm and expressive, brown with golden flecks, like coffee with honey… She felt the touch of his fingers embracing her arms, so gently it felt like some special caress and the friendly, white light around them was like a shelter holding them safe.

And then, with no explanation, the wave of incomprehensible fear washed over her, grasping at her throat, clenching her chest. She knew she must break the eye contact, otherwise, something terrible would happen, but so very much like in a dream, she couldn't move.

'I want to leave,' she thought desperately, but now she couldn't make a sound.

He was as beautiful as before and the white light around them didn't waver, but the dream had a logic of its own. Her panic grew and all she wanted was to run away.

And yet, she couldn't even blink.

She could only stay, transfixed and terrified.

Just a second before the unnamed terror stroke, she woke up.

How such a nice dream can turn into a nightmare? she complained to herself, much later, already in the precinct, when she was trying to concentrate on her work. That was a much different dream then the series of nightmares involving Maze she had some time earlier. This one was actually even nice, till this very last part, that filled her with fear.

Evidently, her subconsciousness was letting her know, that there was too much of Mr Morningstar around her. He was, after all, intense. Good, that he is staying away in the last days, thought Chloe and in the same moment her phone. But, of course, he is not letting himself to be forgotten, she sighed, recognizing the LUX number.

"Hello, Detective," a familiar voice greeted her in the speaker. Chloe almost sighed with relief, hearing him use her rank, as usual, instead of the unsettling 'Chloe' from her dream. "Do we have a new case today?"

"No, actually I am still dealing with the workload of the old one. But there is nothing you would help me with."

It was true. The detective had a doubled workload from her case, that, indeed, concerned mostly paperwork. There were dozens of reports to be written. Though the murder of Jeremy Mitchell remained officially unexplained – the herbal knife on the scene was considered too feeble proof of potential connection – the other threads of her investigation were concluded with a big success. The dealers' gang, with the whole laboratory, was crushed. About a dozen men were indicted and awaited now in the arrest for the process. Ben Mitchell was bailed, but he was going to face charges as well.

"I can always come and cheer you up."

"No," replied Chloe a bit too quickly. "There are some things I need to do alone." Of course, only after hearing his chuckle she realized that her words might have sounded ambiguous. Damn, this man could have made an innuendo of the most innocent sentence.

"Detective, I assure you, that whatever you have in mind I can…"

"Whatever you have in mind I do not want to know it." Chloe reddened with irritation and explained stiffly: "I am searching for Margot Jensen and I do not want you here, because you are in an obvious conflict of interest."

Torn between a sense of guilt, duty and reason, but also slightly fearing possible consequences, Chloe spent the last days doing all in her powers to locate this woman. Of course, there was no tiniest proof indicating that Margot had something to do with the massacre in the pub. Nothing, except this text and Lucifer's crazy explanations. The text was explicable and the rest not worth bothering.

However, there was also the expression in Margot's eyes when she said 'I need to find them'.

Besides, Chloe for the first time hid something work-related from Dan and therefore felt obliged to do some investigation herself. She did all she could do alone, without alarming Monroe. She checked Margot's house – empty – she asked her neighbours and trade contracts. She used the help of her friends in South America and tried to check the passengers' lists on the airport. She even set a date with a guy from FBI who made sweet eyes to her from a long time and in exchange asked him to make a discreet search in their database.

Everything in vain. It was as the woman simply vanished from the earth.

She wasn't going to officially involve other officers, but she also wanted Lucifer to stay out of this. Perhaps, on some level, she was also angry at him for putting her in the situation where she was forced to ambiguous behaviour… though she couldn't deny that everything that happened was her decision and her only.

"As long as I am working on it, I prefer you to stay out of the investigation," the detective added quite formally.

"Detective, if that's the condition of your permit for my return, it seems that you have banished me into the ethernal exile. You won't find her," stated serenely Lucifer. "Perhaps I should discuss it with Lieutenant Monroe? You know, to clean myself from all suspicions?..." he literally purred the last sentence.

Great, so he did not only show no remorse for the situation, he was also going to use her quandaries against her. Bastard, thought Chloe, shaking her head

"Don't you dare," she hissed. "Are you trying to blackmail me?"

"Merely bargaining," replied Lucifer in a sing-song voice and complained: "Detective, I feel lonely, abandoned and in need of entertainment."

"Don't you have a night club?"

"Boring. I may find myself some fun, but you may not like my choice, Detective."

Somehow, Chloe knew that 'the fun' would not take place in the LUX, but at the precinct or, perhaps in her house. As for the rest, her imagination failed her, but Lucifer was certainly able of anything.

"Fine. Come tomorrow," she relented. "I need one more day to wrap up everything."

"Lovely. Do I also get to blackmail you to a drink tonight?" tried Lucifer, but the detective quickly disconnected the conversation.

She exhaled slowly, very unsatisfied with the blush that appeared on her cheeks during this conversation and tried to calm herself.

"I don't want this man around my daughter."

Now, that again. Great. Chloe wearily raised her eyes, to see her estranged husband leaning over her with an angry expression.

Dan was recently getting unbearable. Mostly, because of work. His Benitez case was in surprising standstill and the investigation concerning the massacre in the pub brought no answers and no suspects. Monroe was expressing her discontent and impatience more and more expressively.

Unfortunately, Chloe was receiving the bad end of Dan's frustration. How surprising, when she was alone against almost all of her colleagues, her ex-husband was the only one why stood up for her from time to time. When her situation got a bit better, he suddenly started to be moody, sulking and even offensive.

"Dan, just be a big boy enough to admit, that you are simply angry because Monroe is pressing you," sighed Chloe.

Dan bridled, but after a second it looked as if the air escaped him. He sat on the chair by Chloe's desk and rubbed his forehead.

"Righ. I am sorry. It is just that…" he shook his head, helplessly. "No progress, anywhere."

Chloe's anger subsided. She looked at her ex with sympathy. "What about the crime scene?"

"Nothing. Forensics found no traces of DNA or fingerprints," replied Dan, looking very tired. "The only specific establishment is that it was done by someone with unusual strength," he shrugged his shoulders as if to underline that such conclusion wasn't very helpful.

"So rather a man than a woman?" asked Chloe, trying to sound oblivious.

"Definitely. Only someone very strong can cut the bones with the herbal knife. A man. Or, you know, a female athlete," Dan chuckled mirthlessly.

The detective struggled to hide her relief. Margot Jensen was a tiny, delicate woman. Definitely not an athlete. A lady like her wouldn't dispose of the strength necessary to commit such deed. It meant, that the detective could end her desperate search.

"I am sorry, Dan," she said earnestly. "I am sure it will get better."

How was it, that she and Dan could get along only when one of them was in trouble? Perhaps they were simply too strong-headed for each other.

Perhaps that was why she liked to work with Lucifer. Apart from his occasional whims and tantrums, he was mostly so compliant. And he never competed with her. Never tried to prove himself better, stronger or wiser.

"Listen, Chloe, I do not mind you meeting other men," stated Dan, his eyes proving his words false. "I just mind you meeting him. He is… not the right person for you."

"You do not get to decide it," retorted Chloe. "Besides, I am not meeting him. There is nothing between us, except for work."

Dan snorted. "You should have seen you face while you were talking with him. Listen, Chloe," he said, changing the subject, "I know it is not my day, but can I'd like to take Trixie from school today. The weather is great, I thought about going with her to the beach."

"Sure, but…" Chloe hesitated, "Dan, don't you think you are overdoing it? You are spending with her more afternoons than I now."

Dan immediately ruffled. "I didn't know that we are competing. And that you are counting."

"We are not," Chloe shook her head. "It's just… are you sure, that you are not taking to much on you? You… you do not have to prove anything, you know?"

Looking at Dan, she understood, that her words were misunderstood. Apparently, Dan took it as a point of honour to show that he was a perfect father.

Or, perhaps, he really didn't like Lucifer's potential influence at Trixie, which was absurd. Lucifer barely ever met her, and on such rare occasion tried only to waved her away, like a mosquito.

"No one would ever take your place in her life," Chloe started very softly but got interrupted by the very angry Lieutenant Monroe, storming into her room.

"Are you done talking? What about getting to work? Because people are dying while you are chirping," the lieutenant almost yelled, crashing the folder with files at Chloe's desk.

The detective reached for it, confused. Olivia was usually a bitch, but not to such an extent. What exactly happened? The next words of her boss brought the explanation.

"Three kids were found, unconscious, drugged. They are in hospital but in a coma. Probably it was something similar to the Death's Door. You missed something during the investigation," Monroe stressed looking at Chloe with reproach. "Go and find who is selling this shit again."

"I hope you won't call this an entertainment," the detective said to her partner when they were entering the hospital. She called him immediately after Monroe passed her the information about the reappearance of the drug. To her relief, he didn't banter or made her excuses, only came immediately and they decided to start with the hospital, where the young victims were treated.

"Haven't you ever play at the nurse?" quipped Lucifer, but half-heartedly and his smirk quickly faded, when they were walking through the hospital corridors. "What happened with these first two kids that fell into the coma because of this drug?"

"One is dead, one still unconscious. Permanent brain damage," said quietly Chloe. They reached the ward where the new drug victims were treated. For a moment, she took in the view of the waiting room, where the few family members were sitting, numb with worry and fatigue.

"And these new ones were even younger. Just teens, returning from school. Met the dealer, bought the stuff," the detective rubbed her forehead. These were kids. Just a few years older than Trixie. It could almost be Trixie. And it was not their fault, they were simply careless. Neither it was their parents' fault. It was her fault because she was the one who should keep the city safe from such wretched human rats like the one who offered them this shit. "Oh, what did I miss?"

Lucifer eyed her carefully. "Guilt is unproductive, Detective. And dangerous. It may leady you astray."

"Right," Chloe shook her head, trying to concentrate. They need to find some trail and catch the dealer. "I will speak to the doctor. You may try the luck with the families, in the meantime. Just be gentle."

In the consulting room, she waited for a while for the results of the test. "It is almost certain, that they were poisoned by the same substance what the previous ones," said the doctor.

"The same new drug? The one called the Death's Door?"

"The drug? I would rather say it is a very toxic chemical substance," said the doctor shaking his head. "Hopefully, thanks to the previous research this time we were able to react quicker. Perhaps this time we would manage to save them. But it will take weeks of treatment."

Chloe nodded with a brief smile. It was good that there was hope for the victims, but she didn't have weeks. If she didn't want the new patients at the ward and new mourning families in the waiting room, she had to act more quickly.

The detective exited the room and looked around in search for Lucifer. In the same moment a bit nervous nurse touched her arm.

"Excuse me, Detective, but what your partner is doing? Is he a doctor?..."

Following the nurse, Chloe peeked into one of the victim's room. Lucifer was kneeling by the bed, leaned over the unconscious boy, so low, that their foreheads were barely touching.

"No," replied slowly Chloe, stopping the nurse from intervening, "but give him a moment."

For a small second she hoped… for what exactly? That her partner would manage to learn something from the unconscious boy?... Absurd. And yet she waited patiently until he stood up.

"It is useless. His soul is silent," he stated angrily, brushing past her and the nurse. Not caring to explain himself, headed toward the exit. Only when they left the ward, he turned to her. "The families know nothing. What is your plan now, Detective?"

Chloe for a moment considered his expression. He was very angry. And he wanted her to do something. For a moment, she felt proud that he was relying on her guidance and satisfied, that he shared her determination to find the culprit.

However, she also needed to remember, that angry Lucifer wouldn't be easy to handle.

"Well, we would go and question each of the LAPD informers in the city who has anything to do with the drugs," said slowly Chloe. "Hopefully, we catch a trail. This may take a whole night and I would appreciate your company," she stated a bit officially, but she felt rather awkward, asking him to prowl around the worst parts of the city, just after she kept him "in exile" as he called it, for a few days.

Lucifer only nodded. "Very well."

However, he didn't move and Chloe felt there was something more he wanted to add. For a moment they just stood at the corridor.

"Do not misunderstand me, Detective," Lucifer said finally. "I like drugs. I like the fun and how they twist the reality and above all this precious oblivion they bring. But these – these were not drugs," he said quietly and she noticed, that his eyes were very, very black at this moment. "This was pure poison and whoever sold it, is a murderer."

And he should be punished, finished Chloe silently.

"And we need to find him," she concluded aloud.