Four Horsemen – First Draft

Lucifer crept downstairs on silent feet, not wishing to disturb the fragile peace of the apartment at night.

After hours of tossing and turning, Chloe had finally managed to fall asleep – if her soft snores were anything to go by.

Her nights were so fitful these days that he didn't want to wake her up with his own restlessness. She needed all the sleep she could get.

Soon there would be a baby added to their family, so he doubted they'd be getting long nights anywhere in the foreseeable future.

But at least he would be there to experience them.

The thought brought a smile to his face despite the early hour, and Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the lights above the counter were still on.

Odd.

Had he missed them when during his rounds before bed? Or had Chloe come back to the kitchen for one last cup of chamomile tea without his knowledge?

Before he had any more time to dive further into the rabbit hole, Lucifer spotted the cause of the sudden illumination.

Beatrice was seated one of the barstools, huddled in her plush pink bathing robe. She was clutching a steaming mug of hot chocolate between her hands, eyes bleary from the late hour.

She spotted him before he could say anything, her expression a mix between apprehension at being caught and outright defiance.

"Hi."

"Hello," Lucifer replied smoothly, walking down the last steps and into the kitchen.

Worry stirred in his gut. Why was she up at three o'clock in the morning? Oh dear, it wasn't –

"Are you alright, Beatrice? Did you have a nightmare again?"

Trixie shook her head, taking a sip from the hot beverage. "No, I haven't had those in a while. Or at least the bad ones."

A small relief.

Lucifer slid into the seat next to her. "Then why are you up? It's the middle of the night."

"Why are you up?" she retorted, looking at him over the rim of her mug.

He suppressed a smile. The child had always had spirit, that was for sure. Leave it up to Beatrice to give everyone a run for their money.

"Because I'm an adult and I'm not human. Angels don't need as much sleep as mortals, we can function perfectly fine on a few hours of rest."

Trixie gave him a skeptical look. "If you say so."

I do say so.

Lucifer held back a sigh. For being such a talkative person sometimes, Beatrice could make it really difficult for you when trying to figure out what was wrong.

Last time it taken him an entire day in the Disneyland to accomplish that, a feat he still prided himself on.

"Looks like your mother is snacking again," Lucifer said with a nod at the empty pickle jar on the counter. "I don't know how she cannot stomach coffee, but can eat heaps of that."

That elicited a little smile from her. "It's her fifth jar this week. Yesterday she started dipping them in Nutella instead of the strawberry marshmallow spread she'd used for weeks."

"Her marshmallow phase is over?"

"Yep. So, I'm probably going to be short on Nutella for breakfast next week."

Lucifer chuckled. Chloe's food cravings had gotten stranger and stranger as the pregnancy had gone on. Penelope had insisted that it was completely normal, and suggested he bend to her whims if he wanted to save his skin.

His future mother-in-law had even gone so far to offer a few recipes of her own, which had made Chloe violently shake her head behind her mother's back as the list of advice went on.

Needless to say that salami-and-custard sandwiches were off the menu.

"Well, as long as it keeps her from getting nauseated, I say it has accomplished its goal."

A comfortable silence fell between them, only interrupted by the constant hum of the refrigerator.

It pleased him greatly that they could just sit like this. Side by side, without having to say anything. Things hadn't always been that easy between them, and he was to blame for it.

Beatrice had been particularly angry at him when he and Chloe had been in their limbo about whether or not they were in a relationship. He still stood by his point that she would have a blooming career as a football star.

And while kicking someone in the shins wasn't the most delicate method of getting a point across, it surely was effective.

But in the end, he couldn't help but admire her loyalty to her mother.

The unconditional love she held for her. The way she tried to look out for her mother, even though she shouldn't have to worry about that in the slightest at her age.

How Chloe was her greatest hero, the object of all her admirations. And how she didn't seemed to think negatively about her father, despite everything that had happened.

But especially how Beatrice was attached to him, even though she didn't always have to put it into words.

Even despite all the time he'd been away or all the grief he'd caused Chloe.

He'd never thought he could care so much about a child.

Yet here she was.

"Beatrice, I – "

"You know, Lucifer – "

They both fell silent after they'd spoken at the same time, but Lucifer wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to learn what was on her mind.

If he missed his chance, he could be waiting for at least a few more days. He'd learned that lesson out of experience, unfortunately.

"It's alright, you can go first," he said quickly, hoping she hadn't lost her nerve.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay," she nodded, but was silent for a moment.

Trixie didn't meet his eye but continued prying the fading letters off the side of the mug.

Lucifer's heart sank in his chest. Amenadiel damn it, he'd missed his shot. If only he'd been faster, maybe then –

"I think – I think I'm a bit nervous."

Oh?

Trying to contain his sudden excitement, Lucifer spoke in the measured tone he used during work.

"Nervous? For your science project next week? I thought Miss Lopez was coming to help you?"

She shook her head, hands falling into her lap. "No, I've got that. Mom and I went over it a dozen times already, and Maze said she was going to threaten the teacher if he didn't give me good grades."

Well, leave it to Mazikeen to play her personal bodyguard. It would a miracle if she didn't get into the Ivy League like that.

Lucifer leaned on his forearms, trying his utmost best to appear casual. "Then why are you nervous? The exams are still far away."

Trixie huffed out a breath, as if she was frustrated with herself. Closing her eyes, it seemed like she was gathering her courage to tell him something.

"I'm nervous for Rory."

For Rory? Oh no.

"Are you afraid we're not going to spend enough time with you? Because your mother and I made a schedule – "

"No, I know you won't forget. You promised me, and you don't lie. It's just that - I don't know how to be a big sister."

"I don't know how to be a dad," Lucifer blurted out.

She gave a funny look, as if trying to do decide whether he was being serious or not. "Well, yeah, but you do know how to handle siblings"

I'm not so sure about that, either.

But Beatrice was right. His siblings – arrogant, all-knowing and annoying – could be major pain in his arse, but he'd be lying if he hadn't picked up a trick or two over the years.

"So, you want my advice?"

Trixie nodded, plucking a piece of lint off her pink robe. "I mean, yeah. Sure."

The way she tried to non-chalantly shrug off the entire situation made her seem exactly like her mother in that moment. It sent an unexpected glow of affection through him.

"Excellent! I'll put on the kettle for tea."

"That's like the only British thing about you besides the accent," Trixie said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as he filled the kettle with water.

"Excuse me." Lucifer turned to her, offended. "I can hardly offer you scotch, now, can I? Chloe would have my head."

"Besides," he continued, taking the teabags out of the cupboard, "there are at least a dozen other things about me that could be qualified as British."

"Such as?"

Mind gone completely blank in that instant, he hesitated. The child truly had a penchant for getting under his skin without him noticing.

And she was worried about not getting along with her little sister?

I do not think the world is prepared for the mayhem those two could cause.

"That's beside the point. This isn't about me." He poured the water into the mugs, then carried them to the counter and sat back down.

"This is about you, Beatrice. And for whatever it's worth, I think you will make a fantastic sister."

The girl perked up, accepting the mug from him. "You do?"

"I know," Lucifer said, smiling at her over the rim of his cup.

Her answering smile was as bright as can be, and in it he could see the little girl that had once reached just past his knees.

She wasn't so little anymore, now.

"I think you will make a great dad."

Those words caught him off-guard, and a rush of love for his stubborn step-daughter settled in his chest.

"Thank you," Lucifer said, his eyes gone watery. Damn it, he wouldn't let her see him cry. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"But I need a plan, you know? Like I do during science class or something."

A plan. If there were only such a thing for life.

Or siblings.

But he could try, couldn't he?

Besides, maybe he could do with a plan of his own. Better safe than sorry, right?

Lucifer cleared his throat and blinked twice, getting rid of any potential tears threatening to betray him. "Alright, Beatrice. The first thing – "

"Trixie," she interrupted him, holding up her tiny hand. "Just call me Trixie. Beatrice makes me sound like a grandma."

Now you're truly growing up, Lucifer thought with no small amount of fondness. Trixie.

"Fine," Lucifer said, taking a sip of tea. "Trixie. One of the most important things – "

"Do we really have to do this?" Ella asked. "I mean, we get the idea, buddy."

"Nonsense, Miss Lopez," Lucifer replied, pushing a huge whiteboard in front of the Italian leather couch. "One can never be too prepared."

"Are you actually serious about this?" Maze was lounging in the corner of the sofa, one arm slung over the back. "Your kid's gonna pop out one of these days. End of story."

"Well, if it makes Lucifer feel better, then it helps." Eve amended from next to her wife. "And if everyone stays calm during the birth, then that's a plus as well."

"Thank you, Eve," Lucifer said pointedly, bringing out his box of markers. "At least someone with common sense."

Maze gave him a glare. "That baby is going to burst out in a rain of blood and slime. What's there to plan? Humans tend to get icky during those situations anyway."

"Maze."

"What? Babe, I never said it wasn't cool."

"You know that a birth doesn't go that quickly, right?" Ella said with a frown. "Labor can often take hours, if not days."

"See?" Maze replied, as if proving her point. "It's just a prolonged form of torture."

Then she noticed her wife's dissatisfied glare and plopped back down against the leather. "And they say Hell is cruel."

"No comment from you, Doctor? Let's just get it over with so we can start with my idea."

Linda shrugged next to Ella. "I'd known this was coming. So, when you invited us today, I had a pretty strong feeling what this was about."

Right. Five years as his therapist had given her the uncanny sense of reading him, even after he'd changed so much.

Shrinks.

"Alright," Lucifer started, stepping up next to the whiteboard. "Thank you for coming, everyone. I think you may have an idea why I invited all of you here today."

"Nope," Maze said.

"Kinda?" came the reply from Ella. "I mean, you are pretty impulsive, so…"

"Yes," Linda said full of confidence.

"I just like being among my friends," Eve said with that typical breezy air of hers.

"Aww, that's so sweet, Eve! I missed you too!" Ella cooed. "We should totally have a girl's night."

"Oh my god, yes! And Maze will come, too. Right, sweetie?"

"Decker can't drink yet," she replied flatly, cleaning a nail with her knife she'd pulled from her boot.

"Why does it matter that – "

"Ladies!" Lucifer interrupted, banging his marker on the coffee table. "I'm delighted that you're all so excited to see one another, but could we focus for a moment, please?"

"Of course," Linda replied, like it was her fault. "Right, guys?"

Murmurs of agreement were heard from the others, and they turned their attention all towards him.

Finally. If they're like this sober, I don't want to pitch an idea to them if they've had a couple of drinks.

"Thank you," he nodded. "As you all may know, Chloe is now thirty-six weeks pregnant. Which means that Rory's birth isn't that far away anymore. A month, give or take."

Which was putting it mildly.

Turning the whiteboard, Lucifer revealed a round, smiling stick figure with sprigs of blond hair. To provide further clarification, he wrote CHLOE in blocked letters above.

"We got that it was her, thanks," Maze quipped.

"Did you have to make her that big, though?" Ella asked. "She looks amazing for being pregnant. Like she just stuffed a basketball under her shirt."

Lucifer looked at the board, confused. "What's wrong with my Chloe?"

"Nothing," Linda cut in, blocking any further discussion. "Just the age-old wisdom of not calling pregnant women fat."

"Noted. Thank you, Doctor, for that nugget of wisdom. Now, let's get down to business."

Ella muttered something under her breath about 'defeating the Huns', but then sobered when the reality of the situation got to her.

"Right, buddy. Baby bird is almost there. Continue."

Lucifer took a long swig from his drinking flask, draining the contents. And Chloe accused him of having the attention span of a goldfish? This was going to be a long evening.

Bracing himself for another onslaught of questions and comments, he pocketed his flask and popped the cap off the marker.

"So," he began, walking to the board, "since you're part of Chloe's 'Tribe' as you call it, I thought that you four might come in handy during labor, the birth itself and everything around it."

No tidal wave of remarks, so Lucifer continued. Next to stick-Chloe, he drew another four figures and wrote the name of each of the women above it.

"Ladies," Lucifer said, pausing for a dramatic moment before turning to the group. "You are to be my horsemen."

It was quiet for a moment, and he could have sworn he distantly heard a cricket chirping.

"You know, like the Four Horsemen?"

More silence.

Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "As in the Apocalypse?"

That elicited a response, ranging from 'Ah' to 'Of course' to 'Do I look like I own a horse?' (Mazikeen at her finest).

"Chloe and I agreed on a codeword for when her water breaks. Or well, I thought it would be handy and she later saw the logic of it. Anyway, that codeword is 'apocalypse'."

Here he allowed himself to chuckle at his own puns. Because it was quite funny, if he said so himself.

"Get it? Because Rory's the Antichrist and all that?"

Linda pushed her glasses up her nose, but he didn't miss her smile. "We get it, Lucifer. Please, continue."

Well, at least someone's interested.

Lucifer wrote "FOUR HORSEMEN' above the stick figures. "In the best-case scenario, I will hardly need your help since I will be by Chloe's side the second her water breaks."

Then he straightened and turned to his friends on the couch. "Worst case scenario, however, is that I am stuck in Hell and will only be here after Amenadiel retrieves me."

Maze frowned. "I thought Chloe had gotten you a daddy holiday or something?"

"Paternity leave," he corrected her. "And yes, she did. But before Zadkiel takes over from me, I still have plenty of arrangements to make downstairs. So I have to count on you four to be there for her until I get back."

"We'd be there for her regardless," Maze said, a bite to her words. "Not just because we're your horsemen."

"I know, Mazikeen," Lucifer said, a smile ghosting over his lips. "I'd never doubt your loyalty to her".

"She's my friend,' the demon replied more softly, and in those simple words it was clear how deep the bond ran between those two women.

They'd lived together longer than he had with Chloe, and she was his partner.

"Yeah," Ella nodded. "We got her back. Always."

Seeing how close they had all become – Eve included – sent a jolt of unexpected happiness through him. It was rare to see your friends, your exes and your current partner all getting along so well.

But then again, they were far from normal.

"So, I assigned a task to each of you. I did so with your personalities and abilities in mind, though feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

"Mazikeen, you're War."

Maze grinned, sharp as a blade. "Hell yeah."

Lucifer wrote it underneath her stick figure. "If I'm not here, your task is to get Chloe to the hospital as safely as possible. Protect her against any possible harm, both on the road and in the clinic. All weapons are allowed."

"You got it." Her expression turned thoughtful. "I think I've got just the blade for this task."

"Lovely. Miss Lopez, you are Famine."

"Famine?" Ella replied. "Am I supposed to force her on a diet or something?"

Lucifer shook his head violently. "No no no. Do not come between Chloe and her food. That's your task. Eating during labor is unwise, but see to it that she gets some snacks before the heavy contractions start. She'll need the strength."

"Sure thing, buddy. I'll get Chlo to munch on some trail mix or something. Stress-eating is still her thing, so no problemo."

Moving on, he came to his next horsemen. Or horse-woman, preferably.

"Eve, darling, you'll be Pestilence."

"Pestilence?" she replied, wrinkling her nose. "That sounds awfully dreadful, Luce."

"It's not, trust me. Stress is a modern age disease, and so are all the effects it brings along. Your job is to keep Chloe calm. Reassure her, motivate her. Tell her that everything is going to be alright. Do whatever you can to keep her from panicking."

"The Lieutenant always keeps a cool head," he continued, unable to repress a smile. "But these aren't everyday situations."

"And since you always have such a tranquil air about you, I think that you're the person best suited for this job."

Eve seemed genuinely touched. "Wow, that's – thank you. I'll try my best."

"Just don't kiss her, please," Lucifer added before continuing down the line. "That may have worked on Miss Lopez, but I doubt Choe will appreciate it."

A dopey expression crossed Ella's features. "It's very effective though."

"I don't doubt that," Maze said wryly, casting a sly look at her wife. "I've got enough first-hand experience to confirm."

"I'm sure you do, Mazikeen."

Lucifer stopped in front of Linda, who seemed to already have an inkling what her task was going to be. She crossed her legs at the ankles, her usual shrink stance.

"Doctor."

"Lucifer."

Why on Earth did everyone seem so intent on being a smart-ass today? Was this how other people perceived him when he was in one of his moods?

But I'm a lot funnier though, he thought. Dean Martin himself had said so.

And Chloe always seemed to appreciate his jokes, which was the most important thing, of course. Hearing that joyful, snorting laugh was always the best part of his day.

"Doctor, you have the most important role of our little group. When all else fails, it's up to you to save the day. Our last resort."

"You'll be Death."

Linda nodded, adjusting her glasses. "Because of my medical training, right?"

"Yes," Lucifer replied, writing DEATH under her stick figure on the board. "In the scenario that I'm not here, it's up to you to guide Chloe until she gets to the hospital."

"I'll do whatever I can. But I'm not a trained gynecologist. Or even a practicing specialist. Med school was more than ten years ago. I only remember the basics."

Maze leaned forward in her seat. "You've patched us up before. You even brought Lucifer back to life with those electric paddles when Chloe got poisoned."

"Well, yes, but there's a big difference between sewing up wounds and delivering a baby."

"Eh, semantics."

Lucifer cast a glare at the demon. "This is my daughter we're talking about, Mazikeen. Not to mention the life of my partner."

"Don't you think I don't know that?" she shot back. "I'm worried about her, too! I looked up everything that could go wrong during a birth, and it's sickening. Your Dad was a fucking psycho when he made humans."

"Then why – "

Linda raised her hands in a placating gesture. "Everybody, calm down," she said, her tone stern and commanding.

The room fell silent, Lucifer and Maze closing their mouths with an angry snap.

"I know this is a stressful situation for everyone," she continued. "And that we're all worried about Chloe's wellbeing, regardless of how we express it." Here she glanced between Lucifer and Maze.

Understanding shot through him. He should have known by now – after literal millennia – that Mazikeen's aloofness was just a façade.

Even though she pretended to be indifferent, she cared deeply about her friends. About Chloe.

And any possible problems during a birth made her feel helpless. Because there wasn't an enemy to fight, no monster to track down and put an end to.

No criminal to chase and put in custody. All she could do was wait and hope for the best outcome.

And if there was one thing Maze hated, it was that.

"A lot of bad things have happened to us in the past," Linda went on, her voice softening as she looked around their group. "Myself included. And we're still healing from that. Dealing with it in our own ways, in our own time."

"But just because those things happened – just because we've lost people in the past doesn't mean that it's going to happen again. Medicine has advanced tremendously over the years. The UCLA clinic is one of the best and most innovative in the entire country."

"The odds of everything going right are far greater than those of everything going wrong. Chances are that the birth will progress with anything but a minor hiccup. And those are always there, regardless of how many plans you've made beforehand."

"The birth is still a month away, with a small chance that it might happen a couple of days earlier. It's not an exact science. Which means we cannot make exact plans."

The last part was directed at him, but there wasn't any sting to her words. More like the gentle tone of a friend comforting another during an anxiety attack.

Or rather, an anxiety attack that had been going on for a while now.

Long life, long plans, right?

Right?

Linda straightened in her seat, looking like the speech had tumbled right out of her without her knowing. "We're all going to take a deep breath. And maybe a drink or two, but we'll stop panicking. What would Chloe think if she saw us sitting here?"

"She'd chide us for being a mother hen," Lucifer said softly. But in the end, she'd appreciate his concern.

Then lovingly whack him with a pillow or something. Love could be strange sometimes.

Ella snorted. "Which is quite literal in your case."

"Miss Lopez, I am not a bird – "

"Whoa," Maze grinned, jumping on the opportunity to poke fun at him. "Don't get your feathers all ruffled. Do you want a cracker or something?"

Lucifer took a breath to retort, then realized what she was doing. By winding him up by making jokes about his angelic nature, she was distracting him from his worries.

In a very off-hand, demonic way, but still. She was trying to put his mind at ease in one of the few ways she'd learned worked with him.

He smiled. "Thank you, Mazikeen."

"For what, the cracker?"

They shared a knowing look, and Maze's gaze softened the tiniest bit as she returned the smile. Her days as Hell's torturer were long gone now, but she wouldn't be herself if she didn't torment him once in a while.

Old habits die hard.

But Lucifer fiercely hoped she would keep this one.

"How's the quality time going?" Chloe asked.

"Absolutely excellent, thank you, my dear."

They were both lying on top of the covers in the dark, the evening unseasonably warm for March. Lucifer had his arms wrapped around Chloe's waist, cheek resting against the rounding of her belly.

Her pajama was bunched up around her middle, so he lay with the side of his head against her bare skin while keeping a close eye on Rory.

Sometimes – if you got lucky – you could catch a glimpse of her moving inside Chloe. But he hadn't had any fortune yet tonight.

How the Hell did she grow so quickly? It seems like only yesterday that she was the size of a pea.

Rory wasn't going to be in there much longer, so he wanted to make the most of it.

Some pre-natal father-daughter bonding.

Chloe was carding her fingers through his hair, nails scratching soothingly on the nape of his neck. She was quiet most of the time, only breaking the silence to let out a content sigh from time to time.

His reputation as a suave, smooth Casanova was in absolute tatters. But Lucifer found that he didn't care about that in the least.

Family was more important than his notoriety.

"She hasn't moved in a while. Are you sure the Antichrist's okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. They sleep inside the womb for up to three hours at a time," Chloe snorted. "Which gives me some much-needed rest."

Lucifer turned on his other side, propping his chin on her bump so he faced her. "Am I keeping you awake? You can just shove me off if you're getting tired."

Even in the dim room, he could see her smile. "I'm fine. It's only a little after nine, and I managed to take a short nap on my couch this afternoon."

"Lieutenant's privileges?" he grinned.

"Hey, I'm making a baby in there," Chloe countered, poking him in his arm with her free hand. "It's hard work."

Lucifer gently brushed his thumb against the side of her belly. "Yes, it most certainly is. Does that mean you're relaxing a bit about your impending maternity leave?"

"I mean, I think so?" Her eyes flitted to the ceiling, and a nervous current crept into their conversation. "I'm more relaxed about it than in October, but it's still difficult for me to let go."

When she'd burst into tears on their smoothie lunch date because she'd been so scared they'd fire her for being pregnant.

Fearing that she wouldn't be allowed to come back after her leave because her superiors had found a better replacement in the meantime. Impossible – because she was the best.

How it had broken Lucifer's heart to see his brilliant Detective so terrified for the job she dearly loved.

"They're not going to find someone better than you, my love. If anything, they're going to be begging you to come back because your replacement is such a complete tosser."

"And besides," he continued, "your detective squad appreciates you immensely. I've seen the way they follow your lead, and not just Carol."

Lucifer smiled fondly. "You're the best they've ever had. And they know it."

"Thank you," Chloe replied, a grateful smile spreading over her features. She waved a hand. "Come here. I can't get up in this position."

He obliged, carefully lifting himself off her waist and stretching out beside her. The sheets were cool where he hadn't lain, and always carried the distinct scent of Chloe's perfume.

Rose and jasmine, with a hint of vanilla.

Chloe slowly turned on her side, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning in close, she whispered, "You're the best, you know that?"

A zing of joy shot through him. Hearing her say such sweet things would never get old.

"I know that now," Lucifer replied, bumping his nose against hers. Her breath caressed his mouth. "But you can always remind me, in case I forget."

"Charmer," she chided, and closed the remaining distance between them.

The kiss started out chaste, merely a peck of their lips. But neither of them was willing to relinquish the new-found contact so quickly.

Lucifer swept his tongue along the seam of her mouth, silently asking for entrance. A small moan escaped Chloe, and she opened for him, plunging her fingers into his hair.

Heat rushed through him, and he needed more, more, more.

More skin.

More contact.

More Chloe.

He slid his hand down to her hip, to the hem of her t-shirt. Slipping his hand under the fabric to find smooth skin, he made to pull her closer like he'd done a thousand times by now.

But something prevented him from doing that.

Chloe broke the kiss with a laugh, looking down her body. "I think she's a little in the way. That's going to be difficult from now on."

Little devil.

"My own daughter is cock-blocking me," he grumbled.

Chloe flopped back down on her back, quirking an amused eyebrow at him. "And who put her there?"

"I believe that was a joint effort, my love." Lucifer propped his chin up on a hand, a cheshire grin on his face. "And I certainly did not hear you complain."

The way she looked him up and down with a lingering gaze sent another rush of heat through him. Honestly, it shouldn't surprise him anymore how easy she got under his skin.

By now, she could play him like a fiddle.

Chloe hummed, pleased by his reaction. "No, I certainly didn't."

"And they call me the Devil."

Lucifer laid down on the sheets next to her, resigned to his fate. Seeking her hand, he laced their fingers.

"Four more weeks," he said into the dark. "Four more weeks and we'll finally have her back."

She gave his hand a squeeze, wriggling on the bed to get comfortable. "I know. It's been so long. And even though she's the same person, she'll be different somehow, right?"

"Maybe. But her frown will be the same, and her punk outfits. And her temper. And the way she sings."

Lucifer smiled, thumb drawing circles on the back of her hand. "I love the way she sings. Red wings like a robin, but the voice of a nightingale."

Chloe let out a hum of agreement, still fidgeting next to him. "Little baby bird."

"And I can't wait to teach her how to fly. To soar over the skyscrapers of LA together, or glide over the rocky sands of the deserts."

Chloe slipped a hand between her thighs and froze beside him. She clutched his hand in a vice-grip. "Lucifer –"

"I know the thought frightens you," he added quickly before she could launch into a discussion. "I would be too if I were human. But Amenadiel is the only angel I know who's ever flown into a bridge, and honestly, he's one of our lousiest fliers. So technically –"

"Lucifer," she repeated, this time more intensely.

"Yes, my love?"

She turned her head on the pillow so she faced him, eyes wide and breathing shallow.

"I think – I think my water just broke."