"God's Whisper" - Raury
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Michael's eyes fell down on the phone that rested in his hand. He desperately wanted to give Ella a call to make sure she had truly gotten home safe and sound, but Dan's warning about calling Chloe back snawed at his ear.
After a good minute of debating, Michael opted to send Ella a quick text. He replied back to her with a heartwarming message and wished her good night. Once it was sent, Michael pulled Chloe's contact information over his screen and pressed on the call button. He brought the phone up to his ear, waiting for Chloe to pick up on her end.
The phone rang three times before a raspy voice picked up on the other end. Michael directed his attention away from the front door out to the lookout point over the balcony.
"Hey, Chlo… You called?"
"It's Trixie," the teenager corrected. Michael, taken by surprise, cleared his throat.
"Oh… Hey, kiddo. What's up?"
"My mom wanted me to tell you that you needed to check in with Captain Urias first thing in the morning. He gave her a call not too long ago... There was also something about you staying with my dad?"
"Uh, yeah… I'm staying with your father tonight. I was ordered to have an officer on me for twenty-four hours… Your father was my best bet."
"Okay…" Her voice was soft, indicating she wanted to say more, but seemed reserved.
"Hey, Trix… Before you hang up."
"What?" She snapped.
Okay… I seemed to have misread the situation.
Michael cleared his throat once more, brushing aside the teenager's mood swing.
"I'm sorry about today. The day was supposed to be filled with laughter and fun…" He let out a sigh, as he combed his fingers through his hair. "But it seemed to have taken a wrong turn towards the end."
"Uh yeah, ya think?"
"Mmm…" Michael dropped his hand back onto his side only to pick it back up to switch the hands of the phone. "I understand you're upset, but there's no —"
"I have every right to be upset!"
"That's not…" Michael let out a sigh. He wasn't sure why the child was taking her anger out on him, but he knew his brother's news to Chloe had lit something inside her that had been bubbling for awhile. "I wasn't trying to dismiss your feelings. I simply wanted to express that today's incident wasn't what we wanted. Like I said earlier, the day took a wrong turn. It wasn't our intention…"
"But it happened," Trixie expressed.
"It did…" There was sorrow behind Michael's voice. "But the truth had to come out eventually."
The other side of the line was silent. Michael pulled the phone away from his ear to check if she was still on the phone with him. When her mother's name was still present on his phone, he gave Trixie a few more seconds to collect herself.
"I'll…" He looked out into the courtyard not sure what else to say, "I'll let you go. Goodni—"
"Does my dad know about you?" She called out from the other end.
"Excuse me?"
"Does he know that you're an Angel?" She clarified. "He kept talking about you today… He kept going on about how much the two of you have been bonding... I haven't seen him this happy since Charlotte passed away."
"Oh…"
"Does he know about you? I know Ella doesn't…"
"I uh… No, your father doesn't know." Michael could feel the pit of guilt building at the bottom of his stomach. He knew where the child was going with this. He closed his eyes and tried to keep himself level headed.
"He deserves to know. Ella deserves to know."
"I know…" He sighed. "I know they deserve to know, but at the moment... Not now."
"Is this how Lucifer held off telling my mom? He kept expressing that the moment wasn't right?"
"Trixie…"
"It's a simple question, Michael." Her age was nowhere present as she belittled him.
"I…" He kept stuttering, shocked as she pressed on the issue. "I can't answer for my brother."
"Of course you can't…"
"Trixie… I promise I'll —"
"Whatever…." She hung up, ending the call. The line immediately went silent from her abrupt rant.
"I'll work on it, Trix. I just…" He didn't hear anything on the other end. He stopped mid sentence and pulled his phone back. "Trixie?" The screen displayed his apps and not the call screen. "You little…" He let out a frustrated growl. "Butt head."
He gripped the phone right in his hand as he stared down at the screen. A twelve year old had managed to render him speechless in a matter of minutes. How was he supposed to raise a teenage daughter of his own if he couldn't handle his friend's child?
Michael went ahead and shoved his phone into his pocket. He needed to turn in for the night. The day's events had chewed him up and spat him out. Although there were moments in the day he would cherish. Nothing could take back the sour taste in his mouth that came with doing business with Liam Harrison. Nothing could take back the look on Chloe's face as she pulled away from his brother.
Michael let out a sigh.
He turned away from the railing and found himself in front of Dan's front door.
Before he entered, Michael let his knuckles knock against the wood. As he remembered that Dan was probably in the shower, he went ahead and let himself in. Right away Michael took in the illuminated room of Dan's apartment.
He smiled as it was the first time he had been in his friend's personal space. He looked around the room and smiled at the various movie posters that littered the walls. He let out a chuckle as he noticed the Weaponizer poster off to the far left side of the room. He went ahead and made his way over to them.
The soft pads of footsteps stepping across the wooden floor signaling Dan's arrival.
"Don't make fun of me. I know I live like a teenager."
"Oh, I wasn't laughing at you. I was simply admiring your collection. I recognize the names of the movie posters."
"Ever seen any of the Weaponizer movies?"
Michael turned around, shaking his head.
"Not yet... Ella has been bugging me to find some time to watch them with her. I haven't quite had the free time as of late. You know with the dates and the..." He let his sentence die out mid-sentence. He was sure Dan knew what he was talking about. There was no need to bring up the day's mishaps.
Dan nodded his head. He ran the towel over his hair, drying any water droplets that still cling to his hair.
"You've been spending a lot of time with Ella lately." A smile flashed in Michael's direction. The topic of conversation signaling a change.
"I…" Michael let out a chuckle, "I guess you could say that." A light blush crept onto his cheeks.
"No need to get embarrassed. I remember what it was like in the early stages of dating."
Something about the way Dan articulated his past relationships made him feel guilty. The man had been through a lot in the last year. Losing Charlotte seems to still linger on his heart.
Michael flashed him a smile. He too decided to change the course of their conversation. His hand moved around the apartment, showing a general idea of what he was looking at.
"Definitely different from Chloe or my brother's place, but I like it. It's relaxing. It's -"
"A man cave, I know." A chuckle rolled out of Dan.
"What's a man cave?" Michael asked himself. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to looking around Dan's apartment. "It really feels like a fresh breath of air. Comfortable. Cozy."
"Thanks, man." Dan stood proud of his little apartment. It was in no way grand or luxurious as Lucifer and Chloe, but he took pride in his rinky-dinky apartment.
"Hey uh…" Michael stopped. He watched as Dan turned around and faced him. Dan's full attention was on him as he waited to hear what else Michael had to say. He thought about telling Dan right there and then about his celestial status. He figured it would be like ripping a band-aid off. Why did he stand in front of the human with his mouth wide open, unable to get the words across? He would never know.
"What's up?" Dan asked.
"Sorry." He shook his head. "I was uh… I was wondering if I could borrow the first Weaponizer movie. You know, just in case my brother doesn't have a copy."
"Sure!" It wasn't at all what he thought Michael would ask, but he took the lie and ran with it. "I have a copy in my entertainment center. You can take it with you tomorrow."
"Thank you…"
"No problem. I would totally offer to watch it with you right now, but…" A yawn overcame him. "It's been a Hell of a day for me."
"No, yeah! I know today was a long one for you. You caught your guys?" Michael asked.
"Caught the ones I was looking for," he tapped Michael across the chest, "thanks again. Judge Turpen would never have signed the warrant if it wasn't for you. Well your impersonation of Lucifer."
"I'll help wherever I can…" It was the least he could do for the man. He seemed to be so deep into his paperwork that he could barely keep up with the maintenance of his own apartment. Michael looked around the messy apartment once more. Clothes seemed to litter every surface. Sensing Dan's eyes on him, he directed his attention back to him. "On the topic of helping one another, Daniel… I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you letting me stay here tonight. I know it was last minute and all."
"You're good. My parents have always taught me to open my home to those in need." Michael nodded his head. "Not saying you're in need! Just expressing that I'm always prepared for a friend to stay over."
Michael smiled. He wasn't sure how his brother saw Daniel as a bother. The man standing in front of him was sweet and kind.
"You have lovely parents."
"The best actually." Dan moved about the apartment, straightening up the place. "Sorry for the mess. The only one who really comes around is Trixie, so excuse my mess." He began clumping his paperwork into one pile.
"You're fine, Daniel," Michael chuckled. "You should see my living quarters back home," he blew raspberries, "stacks and piles of books, papers, and scrolls everywhere. Your place is fine." He looked around the room and smiled. His eyes landed on the workout station that rested along the wall by the entrance. "What's that?"
"What's what?"
"That." Michael pointed over to the station off in the corner. He began walking over to it, interested to know what it was.
"Oh! That's my..." For some reason Daniel skidded across the room, embarrassed of his workout station. He began pulling articles of clothes that were left on it to dry. Michael let out a chuckle as he recognized the machinery under the clothes.
"I thought it was a clothes rack, apologies."
"Ha! Yeah…" Dan scratched the back of his neck. "I have delicate clothes… Sometimes I don't have time to dry them." He began rolling up his clothes, tossing them into his bedroom.
"Daniel, you don't have to clean your apartment on my accord. Like I said, I understand I came unannounced. The clutter is of no trouble."
Dan nodded his head in understanding. He closed the door to his room so Michael didn't see how much he cleaned while he was outside.
"I too like to work out," Michael called out, "maybe we could do something in the morning? A run perhaps?"
"I uh… I would actually like that." Dan let a smile spread across his face. "I've been looking for a workout buddy. Haven't really found motivation to get active lately. Kinda been packing on some unwanted weight lately." He motioned to his stomach.
"I'm happy to accompany you if you want a partner. I do have to warn you though. I can be a bit intense."
"I see the payoff." Dan motioned to his friend's physique. "Trust me. I'll do whatever you ask if you can get me into shape and look half as good as you."
"Ha!" Michael walked over to Dan, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "It's not all about looks, Daniel. Sure it helps, but a good personality goes a long way. Let's see." He dropped his arms and placed Dan in front of him. He held him at shoulder length to get a good look of him. "Mesmerizing blue eyes," he pointed out. Dan cracked a smile. "Tall stature… a hint of a beard going on." Michael moved his hands to the side of Dan's face. He tilted his head off to the side to see what else he was working with. "We got curls forming. I didn't know you had curls. Why do you straighten them?"
"Oh! Uh…" Dan shrugged his shoulders. "I uh… It's easier to manage. Can't really stand the upkeep. All those products are just… I don't know. Never really had the patients to test them out."
"I would advise looking into it. I can suggest a few products if you're truly interested. You look good like this. The curls suit you." Michael ran his hand along the top of Dan's hair, similar to how he would mess with Trixie's. Dan let out a chuckle, pushing Michael away. "As for the beard…"
"Don't start. I know I have white in it." Dan's hands were already trying to hide the scruff that was present on his face.
"I'm not picking on you. Does my brother mess with you so much that you're self conscious?" Dan didn't bother to answer. His silence was enough for Michael. "Well… I'm only trying to highlight your best features. I like the scruff. Try it out. We can test it out on the women this coming week. It doesn't take you long to grow it, does it?"
"I… I uh…" Dan's hand flew up to his cheek, testing out the length. "I don't think so. You think it looks good?"
"Better than the clean shaven look you like to sport."
"Oh… Well I guess I could give it a shot."
"That's more like it, Daniel!"
He tapped Dan on the back before walking away. He could see more exercise equipment littering the floor, but choose to admire the photos that rested on the tables. His eyes moved along the old wooden top until he noticed a picture of Dan and Trixie. He quickly walked over and grabbed the photo off the table. A smile spread across his lips.
"How old was she in this picture?" He asked.
"Huh?" Dan moved over and looked at the photo Michael had pointed at. "Uh… Maybe five."
"Five? Wow… She was so tiny here."
"She was… She seemed to have sprouted overnight," he joked.
"Do they really grow that fast?"
"Well not overnight, but they do seem to grow at an alarming rate in a matter of days to weeks. I think these past few weeks have been Trixie's biggest growth spurt."
"She's twelve, correct?"
"She is." Dan let out a breath of air and chuckled once more. "Chloe and I are stumbling into the teenage years soon. I'm not ready... I was a handful when I was stepping into high school. I always got myself into trouble."
Michael's eyes dropped onto the picture frame that rested in his hands. Something about listening to Dan talking about his daughter made his heart drop into his stomach. He let his thumb run across the glass taking in the child wonder that graces Trixie's face.
What he would give to see that little face instead of the growing woman she was becoming. He would take the cute little toothless girl in the photo over the cold glare she gave him almost an hour ago. He would take her obvious lisp she had as a child over her stoic growl she was showing him now.
"Hey… I'm… I'm sorry, man. I completely forgot you have a daughter of your own around the same age. I shouldn't be rubbing -"
"You're good." Michael placed the photo back on the small table. "I asked. I was well aware of the emotions that would pop up if we talked about Trixie. You're fine, Daniel."
The man nodded his head. He wasn't sure where to go with the conversation now. So Dan looked around the room.
"I uh… I never bothered to ask if the information you got off of Liam Harrison was credible."
He hadn't bothered to ask Michael anything about Liam Harrison. And there was a lot he wanted to ask. Like why was he networking with a man who was being looked into for human trafficking. Was Michael a part of the traffic ring?
It was nonsense. He knew Michael was a good man, but he couldn't understand why he was working with the creep. Even if it was a setup, how did Maze or Michael manage to get a meeting with him?
There were so many questions rolling around Dan's brain, but the only questions that seemed to interest him were the ones about Michael's daughter. Like was she kidnapped? Did the mother run off with the kid? Who was hiding them that even money couldn't find them? The question went on for miles.
"Mazikeen is tracking down the lead for me. She left a few hours ago… She's gone dark since then." Dan showed some worry on his face. "Everything is fine. She's probably ran into some trouble with Harrison's goons. Afterall I did almost kill him."
"By accident right?" Michael looked Dan in the eyes and said nothing. "You do know I'm an officer of the law, right?"
"I am well aware."
What is up with Lucifer and Michael having no regard for people's lives?
"Look, I know you have a shady past. I've tried digging you up and everything was either sealed or nonexistent." Michael raised his eyes in confusion. "Yeah, I know about the seal documents. It had Pierce's greasy hands all over it. The point is, whatever you did in the past needs to change. You can't operate like a crime boss. You can't go around beating people up and being apart of murder cases -"
"You know I wasn't a part of that."
"I know, but you literally have a target on your back. Lieutenant Herrera called me after I left the precinct and asked for your medical report. I know you didn't go to the hospital, Michael. I checked."
"I -"
"Save it. I'm not going to grill you like Chloe… But I wanna know if your little stint is going to come back and bite me in the ass."
"I would never get you in trouble." Michael was hurt his friend would even think such a thing.
"So there's a possibility?"
"Maybe… But! But I'm getting it corrected. Ella knew I didn't go to the hospital as well. She set me up with an appointment tomorrow to get it fixed. It's all off the books and can be altered to look like I went today. I would never jeopardize your badge, Daniel."
"Thank you…" Relief washed over Dan, but something in the back of Dan's mind was bugging him. "Where did you even go? The Lieutenant said you were gone for five hours."
"I uh… I went back home..." Michael picked at the skin around his nails. "I couldn't get past the damn gate, so it was a wasted trip. But to answer your question I went home."
"Where's home?" Dan asked. There were so many questions around Lucifer and his siblings, he knew Michael was the only way of getting answers.
"It's not important. All you need to know is that I went home, but they wouldn't see me."
"So you just got on a plane and flew to…" He left the question open waiting for Michael to answer him.
"Heaven," Michael answered correctly. "But I didn't take a plane."
Dan let out a chuckle, "right."
He shot Michael a look and walked away from him. He was so done with the metaphor talk. He had dealt with it for years with Lucifer. He was in no mood to get into it with Michael. As far as he knew, Michael was a reasonable man. He didn't want the conversation to turn sideways and reveal a crazy side of him, similar to his brother.
Instead, Dan made his way over to the cupboard that resided outside his bedroom door. He pulled open the cubby door and grabbed a few blankets he thought Michael would enjoy.
"I don't turn on the heater at night, I kinda like to sleep cold," Dan called out, "I have the best blankets to trap heat inside. You know if you get cold at night." He walked over with a stack of blankets in hand.
"Oh! Thank you." He flashed Dan a smile as he looked at the knitted blankets his parents probably made for him.
"Are these okay?"
"Yeah! I uh," he let out a chuckle. "I've just seen a lot of parental love today. Chloe with Trixie. Stories of Ella and her parents. Now hand-knitted blankets your parents probably made you."
"Good eye. My mom made these for me." Dan pulled his favorite blanket out from the bottom. He unraveled the folding to show Michael. He reached out and touched the fabric. He smiled as he could see all the love that went into it. Tight stitching and patterns galore. It was a beauty.
I envy you lot. You're always whining that my father doesn't show you love, but what's this?
He ran his hand along the blanket. He could practically feel the stories bounce off the fabric. The love was woven into the stitching. The nights where the blanket was wrapped tightly around one's shoulders. That was love.
This is love. Love from a true parent.
"It's beautiful," Michael said.
"Oh! I wouldn't say beautiful," Dan chuckled. "It has a decade of two on it. My mom made it right before I went to college."
"Something to remember home by?"
"Yeah… I was a little nervous to leave actually."
"Did the blanket help with your home sickness?"
"If you can believe it, I completely forgot about it. Shoved it in the corner of my closet and didn't look for it until winter." The two chuckled together. "It's Trixie's favorite blanket. She always picks it out of the stack."
Michael let out a hum. "You got a Hell of a kid on your hands. Really shaping out to be a detective in the making."
"Ha!" Dan gave him a playful punch to the arm. "Did she grill you about today? I swear sometimes it surprises me that I have such an intuitive daughter. She's really shaping out to be just like Chloe."
"She's got a little of you in there." Michael knocked his fist against Dan's shoulder. "That creative mind of hers," he blew air out of his mouth, "I could barely keep up with her and Ella during our game night. I know she gets that from you."
"Thanks, man."
Dan accepted the compliment with a smile on his face. After all that he's been through over the years, he had struggled to find the good in himself. He struggled with accepting his failures. One of those failures being a bad role model for Trixie. Hearing his daughter shared his creativity meant a lot to him.
"You got a good kid on your hands. You're doing something right. Don't let anyone tell you any different."
"Thanks…"
Dan nodded his head. He desperately needed to hear those words. He grabbed the blanket from Michael's hands and started folding it.
"Anyways…" Michael clapped his hand together signaling he wanted to get some rest. "Think it's best for the two of us to get some rest. It's…" He lifted his wrist up to check his watch. "Ten forty-two. Wow…" He was amazed at how early it was.
I could have sworn it was later...
"Yeah, I should head in for the night." Dan fixed the towel that rested around his shoulders. "Feel free to arrange the couch to your liking. It's not a pull out, but it does the trick. Water is in the fridge. Bathroom is down the hall. It has a night light inside if you wake up in the night. Uh…" He rushed over to the front door and locked the door. "Almost forgot to lock this." He made a face as he turned around. "Don't want someone to walk in, in the middle of the night. Had that happen to me once and it wasn't pleasant."
"Sorry about that… Kinda not used to doors."
"That's fine. I know Lucifer has a weird setup in his penthouse." He made his way back over to the living room. "Anyways, make yourself at home. You have the television. Remote is on the table. Don't feel the need to crash right away. I -"
"I got the rundown, Daniel." He placed a hand on Dan's shoulder and sent him a push over in the direction of the man's room. "I'll be fine. I'm going to turn in as soon as my head hits the pillow. I'll see you first thing in the morning. Be ready to run?"
"Uh… Yeah! At dawn?"
"Sure." Michael gave Dan a smile. He was sure he'd be up before that, but dawn would do fine. "See you in the morning."
"Sounds good." Dan began backtracking to his bedroom. "Goodnight, Michael."
"Goodnight, Daniel."
Michael watched Dan slip into his bedroom. The light taps of his feet walking around the room played in the background.
Michael went ahead and toed out of his shoes. He made sure to set them off to the side. As he became familiar with the living room, he began making the couch so that he could sleep more comfortably at night. He stacked a few blankets on the leather cushion forming some needed padding. The throw pillows were discarded to one side. He figured they make able pillows for the night.
As the makeshift bed was all made, Michael pulled his belt loose. He rolled it, placing it on the floor with his shoes. He debated sleeping in his boxers, but unfamiliar with Daniel's place, he chose to just sleep in his clothes.
Michael grabbed the blanket Dan and Trixie claimed their favorite. He pulled open the knotted sheet and fluffed it out for him to use.
Once he climbed onto the couch, it didn't take much for him to get comfortable. The sheets were nice and cold against his warm body. A yawn overcame him as he acclimated to the temperature change. He covered his mouth and adjusted his position on the couch. He pulled the covers over his shoulders and let his eyes close, letting the night take him.
.
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He found himself chained to the ground. Metal cufflinks cut off his circulation, forbidding him from lifting them any higher than an inch off the ground. He looked up, but found nothing but darkness.
"Someone help!" Michael called out.
A snicker called out in the shadows.
Michael turned his head in the general direction and tried to see past the fog that plagued the area. When he could only see little more than a few feet in front of him, he chose to talk once more.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
"You know this is just downright embarrassing, Michael. Not so much as a fight as my minions chained you to the floor."
"Who's there!?" Michael called out once more. He pulled at his wrists trying to break the chains that restrained him. It did little to nothing as he pulled and pulled. The man in the shadows let out a chuckle as he watched Michael struggle.
"You won't get out of those. They're demon forged. The strongest thing I know that can contain a son of god."
"And how would you know?" Michael asked. He gave the chain another tug, just managing to lift the ground underneath. He smiled as he noticed the shift. He relaxes to not give up his escape plan.
"Because I was once a servant of Yahweh." The man walked out of the shadows. His smug face was blurred to Michael's memory. The only thing he could get from the dream was the man's voice. It was forever edged into his memory.
Michael thrashed against his restraints as he registered the man in front of him. He gritted his teeth and tried to pull as hard as he could against his cuffed wrists. As he tried to break free, Sandalphon tisked his tongue around Michael.
"I wouldn't keep doing that if I was you… You'll open the wound I so graciously closed. Wouldn't want you to tear that wing of yours. My demons would want nothing more than to mount them onto the wall."
Michael stopped his struggle as he felt a warm liquid drip down his back. He let his arms fall to the ground in defeat.
"You stabbed me in the back!" Michael recalled. He bared his teeth as the memory came flooding back into his memory. "How honorable," he spat. "You couldn't even take me down like a man."
Sandalphon shrugged his shoulders. "I'm no man. Your father made sure of that." He walked up to Michael and let his cold hands grip onto Michael's chin. His nails gripped onto Michael's flesh, locking him still. He forced the angel to look up to him, but Michael was once again met with a blurred face. "I wonder what your father would think of you now. You weren't much on the battlefield. Aren't you supposed to be Heaven's greatest warrior?"
Michael pulled his chin out of Sandalphon's grasp ignoring the statement.
"One blow to the back and out like a light you went." Sandalphon snickered once more. "Shame… Shame… Oh, what a shame."
Michael gritted his teeth as he pulled at the chains once more. The taunting continued. It fueled his anger as he pulled harder at his restraints. After a few tugs, the ground gave out. Sandalphon stepped back in horror. He backed up into the wall and watched as Michael broke the forged links from the ground. His wings opened from their hidden plan, swinging out, pinning the man to the wall. The tips of his wings buried into Sandalphon's neck, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he stared into Michael's eyes.
"Why are you laughing!?" Michael yelled.
"This isn't real," he whispered. "Wake up!"
.
.
Michael woke up to the cold wooden floor beneath his feet. His fists were clenched around a thin fabric. He shook his head in confusion, dropping his hands from whatever he was holding. A thud hit the floor hard. Michael hadn't bothered to register what he was holding as he backed away, trying to get ahold of his bearings. When he heard a whimper come from the floor, he looked down at the floor. His heart dropped as he found Dan on the floor with his back against the wall.
"Daniel… What… What's going on?" He tried to help the man up, but Dan batted his hands away.
"Don't touch me… Don't touch me!"
Michael backed away, granting the human his space.
"I'm so sorry… I must have been sleep walking. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry!" Michael tried to show Daniel remorse. He was completely taken by surprise by his actions. He fidgeted with his hands unaware how much damage he had done.
"What are you?!"
"What? I don't -"
"You almost killed me with those fuckin' wings! What the Hell are you? You're… You're…" He couldn't get the words out. He was too busy looking at the jet black wings that now took up half his living room. Dan's hands pointed out to the literal appendages sticking out from Michael's back. "Those…. Those are wings! You have wings!"
"What…" Michael turned his head around and found his wings out on full display. A flash of horror spread across his face. He furled his wings and placed them back in their hidden plane. Once they were taken care of, Michael dropped to his knees and looked Dan in the face. "Daniel… Daniel look at me."
"You're… you're." Dan couldn't seem to get the words out of his mouth. "You're him! You're the archangel! Lucifer is the Lucifer! Everything is real… Everything is real!" He tried to stand on his own two feet, but he couldn't seem to get himself to stand. His legs moved about the ground like he was on ice. Kicking about with no understanding of friction. Michael tried to help, but he kept swatting the angel's hands away. "You're a fuckin' angel!"
"Shh! Daniel, please. You need to calm down."
"Calm down? You want me to calm down!" He let out a nervous chuckle. "You almost killed me with your fuckin' wings just now! How am I supposed to calm down after finding out my best friend is a goddamn angel!"
Michael let his hands rest along his thighs. He was in the same position as he was in his dreams. In many ways than most, he could still feel the chains around his wrists. The situation wasn't any different. He was hit with the realization that he was stuck. Although he wasn't the terrified soul struck with fear, Daniel was. The human in front of him was terrified for his life. Pools of tears poured from his eyes as he tried to get a grip on what was happening in front of him. Michael let out a sigh. He reached his hand out taking in the cut he had given Daniel on the cheek.
"I can explain…"
.
.
Chloe spent most of the night staring up at the ceiling of her room. Thousands of thoughts ran through her mind as the knowledge of her existence became real. As the conversation finally settled and the anger had dispersed, all she wanted to do was bombard Lucifer with questions. She understood she overreacted. She understood she probably shouldn't have yelled as much as she did. But in the end, it was done.
The flash of her pulling away from Lucifer's touch, haunted her. She was mad at herself for pulling away. She had promised herself she would never do that to him again. And she had.
Chloe closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself. Lucifer was so fragile with his identity when she had first found out. She knew better than to cower from his touch, knowing he wasn't a monster.
The sound of her phone blaring into the room was the thing to finally pull her out of bed. Someone was calling her. She turned her head to the side and caught the time. It was nine twenty-six. She raised her eyebrow in confusion. It was Saturday.
Chloe quickly pulled the covers off her body, stretching her hand out, and answered her phone that rested on the nightstand. On the screen flashed Lieutenant Herrera's work number. She cleared her throat and picked up the phone immediately.
In the back of her head she begged that it had nothing to do with Michael.
"Lieutenant Herrera… Good morning. How… How can I help you?"
"I'm sorry if I woke you Detective Decker, but I am going to need you to come into work. A new body just dropped…"
"What?" Chloe shot up from her position. "Is it our killer?"
"I'm afraid so. I'll send you the address. Miss Lopez is already at the crime scene getting a detail of the new victim. I understand today was your day off, but seeing as Detective Espinoza came up with an emergency when I called… You're my leading Detective on the case and I could really use -"
"It's alright. I… I got this. I just got up, but I'll make sure to get ready as fast as possible." She pushed herself out of the bed and began to shuffle over to her closet.
"No need to rush, Decker. I understand baby sitting arrangements need to be made. Lopez just arrived at the crime scene. She'll need time to go over the area. I expect to see you within the hour, but there's no rush."
"Of course… Thank you, Lieutenant."
"I wouldn't thank me just yet. It looks like you have a long weekend ahead of you."
"Right…"
"Get ready, Detective. I'll see you soon."
"Yes… Bye, Lieutenant."
The line went dead. Chloe pulled her phone away from her ear and searched through her contacts looking for Dan's contact information. As his name popped onto her screen, she gave him a call.
The Lieutenant explained that Dan was unavailable due to an emergency. What could have possibly happened from the time he left work until now? She listened to the phone ring. After the fifth ring, Chloe ended the call. She left out a frustrated growl. There was no one else who could watch Trixie. She had received a call from Maze in the middle of the night trying to get a run down of Lucifer's attitude. She would have asked her friend to watch her daughter, but she remembered Maze was on a bounty hunt for Michael. Her only two choices were Lucifer and Linda. And she really didn't want to see Lucifer right now. He needed a clear head for the new body drop. She didn't need her mind occupied with questions about her miracle status. So instead, Chloe pulled Linda's number up on her phone, dialing the doctor.
.
.
Chloe pulled up to the newest victim's house. She let her hands rest on the steering wheel, allowing herself to gather her thoughts. She still had the night's thoughts fresh on her mind. She still had the argument with Trixie rattling in her head. The teenager didn't seem to take the abrupt morning call too well. Nor did she take the drop off at Linda's house any better.
Her head was spinning and she couldn't seem to get the Detective mask on this morning. So she took a second to collect herself. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.
Once that was all said and done, Chloe turned the ignition off to her cruiser. She pulled herself out of the car and marched over the yellow tape that stretched out in front of the run down house.
A forensic tech moved the tape, allowing her entry. Chloe paid her thanks and ran up the stairs of the porch. Before she got more than three steps into the house, her name was called from the other side of the room.
"Detective Decker!" Lieutenant Herrera beckoned her over. Chloe walked over to the older man ready to get a run down of the new victim. "Thank you for showing up. It's to my understanding that Mr. Prince is in Detective Espinoza's care?"
"I… Yes. The hand off was run through Captain Urias. Detective Espinoza told me he also checked in with you before the night was over…"
"Indeed, I just wanted to make sure Mr. Prince wasn't having Espinoza cover for him. The Captain and I haven't been the best of friends since I took over Pierce's position. Corruption runs deep in this city and somehow I believe the Captain mingles with unsavory characters. Unsavory characters like Mr. Prince." He directed his attention to Chloe, looking for a hint of truth.
"Michael? No…" She shook her head. "Michael isn't a criminal. He's had some bad run-ins, but he's not a criminal."
"Mm-hmm…" He crossed his hands over his chest, not at all convinced. "A slap on the wrist for a friend. You know Liam Harrison's driver was declared dead this morning?"
"I… No, it's news to me." Chloe looked at her superior not understanding where he was going with all of this.
"It's all being swept under the rug. Morning newspaper never even covered the incident. All the damage done off the freeway, now being worked on as we speak. Fishy, isn't it?"
"This is all the first I'm hearing about anything, sir. Really."
The Lieutenant nodded his head. He knew his star Detective was speaking the truth. He dropped his arms and asked one more question.
"And Lucifer? I half expected him to be here with you. I saw him hanging around the precinct yesterday."
Chloe took a second to answer the Lieutenant's question to the best of her ability without lying. She knew he was fishing for information on whether or not Lucifer was covering for Michael. She couldn't blame him for suspecting. The Captain suspected Lucifer of motives. In all honesty, Lucifer could very much be behind the cover up. She was unaware of how much he was willing to protect Michael, but she knew none of this had Lucifer's name on it.
"I was unaware he would be needed for today's crime scene. I sort of just rolled out of bed and tried to find a sitter. It never crossed my mind…" She lied. Of course she thought about inviting him, but she knew she needed a clear mind.
"Understood." The lieutenant nodded his head. He stepped aside and allowed the scene behind him to come into view. Off to the side, Chloe could see Ella eavesdropping. "I expect Mr. Prince to have those medical reports on my desk by the end of the day. In fact… Have him stop by my office. I'd like to have a chat with him."
"Sure thing…"
"Good... I'll let Miss Lopez go over the new victim." He left the room in a haste.
As Chloe watched the Lieutenant leave, Ella made her way over to Chloe. Her camera was pressed against her stomach, trying to demonstrate to the people around her that she was still very much still working and not about to bombard her friend with questions.
"What the Hell was all of that about?" She whispered.
"I have no idea… I've never seen him so interested in Michael or Lucifer. Captain Urias was the same way…" Her concentration trailed off as she tried to stop a headache forming. She shook her head. She directed her attention back to Ella. "New body drop. What can you tell me about our new victim? Anything new we can add to the evidence?"
"Nope. nada. Nothing. I've combed through every inch of this house three times. I've even had my squints aid me on this fine morning." She motioned to the litter of baby forensic scientists walking around the crime scene. "Nothing…"
"Do we know anything about the victim?" Chloe walked over to the woman who sat in a chair similar to the other victims in the past. Flowers in hand. Hands tied with ribbon. Blood streaked their eyes and ears.
Ella ran the information of their latest victim across to Chloe. She read off everything she knew. Having been at the crime scene two hours before Chloe, it gave Ella enough time to gather personal information on the victim.
Chloe nodded her head as she tried to make mental notes of their latest victim.
"No Lucifer today?" Ella asked.
"Hmm? Oh no… No, not today." Her thoughts focused on the task at hand and not on her Devil-lying partner.
"Oh…" A frown appeared across Ella's face. "Did the two of you get into a really big fight? I tried not to listen in last night… I'm sure whatever happened you guys can work it out. I'm sure -"
"Can we not talk about this right now, Ella."
"What happened? You and Lucifer were so happy last night. I refuse to believe this is something big. I'm sure whatever happened just needs time to blow off, right?"
"I don't know, Ella…" Chloe let out a sigh. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next. She was still trying to get her head around her miracle status. The last thing she was thinking about was Lucifer's presence right now.
"What happened?" Ella stressed. She honestly wanted to know why Michael and Trixie needed time to talk to one another in private. She had the opportunity to ask Michael, he was more than willing if she truly asked, but she didn't want to pry Chloe's privacy out of him. She wanted to hear it from Chloe herself.
Chloe let out a sigh. "I just found out how fucked up Lucifer's family really is… His father…" She cut herself off before she could let everything spill out of her lips. "Oh, his father is on my shit list. If I ever get the chance to meet him, I will just…" She stopped herself. The awareness of threatening the almighty settled fast. She bit her tongue holding her threats. "Just ugh!"
"Michael has mentioned how mysterious his father can be… He doesn't talk about his father as bad as Lucifer, but I can tell he despises him just as much. Is he really that bad?"
"He's worse," Chloe clarified. She shook her head. She really needs to stop talking about God himself. The last thing she wanted was to be smited on the spot. She turned to Ella and gave her a good long look. "Has Michael told you anything about his family?"
"Yeah… I mean I know that his family is a little out of sorts. He doesn't seem to like them. I mean, that's pretty normal. Who doesn't seem to hate an abusive household? We always talk about family. It's what we bond over the most."
Chloe shakes her head in irritation. Of course, Michael hasn't come clean to Ella. He could border on the truth all he wanted, but at the end of the day he was still lying to Ella. Withholding a truth about him was still lying. Her poor friend knew nothing about her boyfriend's big secret. She was dating the one thing she cared so much about. Why Michael thought he needed to hide that from her, she would never understand. His relationship with Ella would never faze her. She believed. She embraced the mysteries behind religion. She couldn't take her friend moving forward with her relationship without knowing about Michael. So she opened her mouth and got the ball rolling.
"Michael is not telling you something Ella…"
"What do you mean?" Ella looked up at her friend with confusion.
"It's not my spot to tell you, but I would advise pulling that secret he likes to tiptoe around. I'm sure you've noticed over the past few weeks. He's not telling you the truth about himself. It's a huge part of himself that he's not showing you… if he really cares about you like he says he does, he won't have a problem telling you. Take it from experience."
"I… What's that supposed to mean? Did Lucifer tell you something about himself that you didn't know? How does this involve Michael?"
"Just talk to Michael, Ella. Please. Before your relationship goes any further and you're blindsided like I was last night."
"I…" A pit started to form in Ella's stomach. She started to worry what Michael was hiding from her.
Chloe walked away without any more clarification. She began her interviewing process with the local neighbors, leaving Ella confused.
Ella pulled out her phone. She pulled up Michael's contact information and debated whether or not to call him. In the back of her head she wanted to know what Chloe was talking about, but on the other hand, she had promised she wouldn't push him until he was ready. She had given Michael her word. She couldn't go around that so soon.
Ella pulled up Michael's contact information and let her finger hover over his phone number. Unaware her finger lowered, she watched the call icon pop up on her screen indicating that a call was being made to Michael.
"Good morning, beautiful," Michael called out. "I thought you were working? I wasn't expecting a call until lunch." When Ella failed to answer, his tone grew serious. "Babe? Is everything okay?"
"I… I'm not sure." Ella croaked out.
.
Not sure if Ella will find out in the next chapter, but it is around the corner. What did you think of Dan finding out in the most traumatizing way? Thoughts?