"Once In A Lifetime" - Talking Heads
Quick Note:
I appreciate everyone that has favorited or followed this story! I got a lot of new reader over the past two weeks. I just wanted to say welcome! So glad people have taken an interest in the story. It was originally supposed to stop before the actual first date, but somehow just kept snowballing. I love writing for this story, but unfortunately with the holidays around the corner I do not know how frequently I will be posting. I was supposed to have this chapter uploaded last week, but life got in the way. I have not started on the next chapter, but! But! It already has an outline. Not saying it will be up next week, but keep an eye out for the following.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone still reading! It means A LOT. I am unfamiliar with FF, I'm mostly on AO3. I try to reply back to comments, but I don't really know how to. Just know I read them and enjoy all your comments. 3.
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Michael's words hit Dan like an eighteen wheeler. The existence of celestials blew open a door to Dan's reality in ways he didn't know existed.
The knowledge was abrupt. It was insane.
The need to escape was unbearable.
As soon as Michael pulled his wings back into their hiding spot, Dan made a run for it. With the jet black wings no longer acting as a barrier, it left room for Dan to hightail it out of the apartment.
He pulled open the front door, booking it out of the vicinity.
Michael shook his head in confusion, unaware the human had even slipped out from under his nose.
"Daniel?" He turned his head towards the front of the apartment, the door was wide open. "Daniel!"
Michael rushed out of the apartment, leaving the apartment in the same manner as Dan.
He looked both ways, looking for any indication of where his friend went. When he found a quick glimpse of a passing figure heading down the left side of the terrace, Michael rushed after him.
"Daniel!" He called out in a whisper. "Daniel, where are you going!?"
A brief look over the shoulder, showed just how terrified Dan was of him. The man tripped over his own feet as he stepped off the stairwell. His body fell hard onto the wet lawn in a thud.
"Agh!"
But as fast as Dan tripped onto the grass, he picked himself back up. He rushed out into the open lawn desperate to put more distance between him and Michael.
"Why are you running?" Michael called out. "Daniel, why are you running? I'm not going to harm you. Daniel! Stop this right now!"
Instead of listening, Dan continued his dash out into the open courtyard. He was out in the open now. Furiously moving his head back and forth, he seemed to understand there was no getting away. Dan quickly turned around and found Michael stepping off the stairwell, heading towards him. Still in panic mode, Dan utilized the only equipment in the area. He rushed over to the barbeque pit and used it as a barrier to separate him from Michael.
"Daniel, you are making a scene."
"I think I'm acting pretty normal for someone who just got told there is a Heaven and Hell, thank you very much!"
"You're Catholic! You already knew there was a Heaven and Hell."
"I'm a non-practicing Catholic!" Dan spat out.
"Oh!" Michael tossed his arms in the air. "I'm sorry. I didn't know your beliefs dropped from the face of the Earth at one point in time!"
The two started circling one another around the barbeque pit.
Michael was trying ever so desperately to defuse the situation that was occurring outside. While Dan on the other hand was trying so hard to keep out of Michael's grasp.
As Michael tried to cut Dan off with his quick sidestep, Dan had better reflexes. He slipped past the angel and continued their intense game of tag.
"Daniel!"
"No!"
Dan spun around just barely managing to slip past Michael as he reached out to grab him.
"Daniel!"
"Get back! Get back, man! I don't want you touching me!"
"Daniel…"
There was hurt behind his voice. A slight pain to his heart as he realized that this was how his brother felt when Chloe rejected his touch.
Michael quickly shook it off and focused on the task at hand.
"Daniel, you need to lower your voice. It's not even light yet. You'll wake the neighbors."
"You think I fuckin' care?" He whispered out. His eyes burned into Michael's skull with crazed eyes. "I don't fucking care!" He cried out. "I just found out my friend is a fuckin' angel!"
"Daniel!"
Michael made a move. He extended his hand, trying to grab onto Dan.
"Ah!" Dan cried out. He made a run for it.
"Daniel! Daniel, get back here right now!"
The two circled the barbeque pit like two siblings playing an intense game of tag. With every reach to grab onto Dan, the human slipped out of Michael's hold.
It was impossible.
Instead of going around in circles, Michael stuck to an end of the pit. The two stared at one another, trying to catch their breath.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Daniel!" Michael pleaded. "I would never hurt you." The look on Daniel's face told another story. "Well deliberately… I would never hurt you deliberately. You're… You're my friend."
"Friend!" Dan let out a laugh. "You tried to kill me!" His voice dragged across the courtyard, echoing out into the open.
Michael made a motion for Dan to keep his voice lowered. "I wasn't going to kill you… I was having a nightmare. I thought you were someone else. I…" He let out a sigh. "I wasn't going to actually hurt you."
Dan pointed to the scar on his cheek. The wound was still bleeding to his knowledge. He could feel the warm blood drip along his cheek.
"Then what is this?!"
"A minor scar... It's nothing I can't heal. If you let me get close to you, I can help." Michael tried walking around the barbeque pit, but Dan kept his hand extended, asking for the angel to keep his distance.
"Stay back."
"Daniel, I am not going to hurt you."
"How do I know that?! How do I know you won't smite me in my sleep. I know about you now. Isn't it against the law for angels to expose themselves to humans? How do I know you won't murder me in my sleep?!"
Michael held up his hands indicating that he wasn't going to advance on him. He took a moment to look over Dan's terrified stance. The man was in his pajama pants and muscle shirt. His hair was in a disarray, curling in every direction.
"It's not against the law... We've exposed ourselves to humanity before. How do you think you humans know about us? You have had to of had contact with us, yes?" The gears in Dan's head started moving, taking in Michael's words. He nodded his head. "See. Yes… So you're fine. You're not the only one who knows. Linda and Chloe know."
"Okay…"
"Your daughter knows too."
"Trixie knows?" Michael nodded his head. "She…" Dan let out a chuckle. "Of course they know!" He tossed his hands in the air. The brief moment of clarity sends him into a spiral once more.
"You're terrified. I get that." Michael placed his hand on his chest. He felt he needed to show Dan that he cared. "I know this is all hitting you at once. I also know this is a lot to take in, in the middle of the night. I -"
"It's a lot to take in, my ass!"
"Daniel…" He took a deep breath. He pinched the brim of his nose trying to defuse the headache that was burning a hole at the front of his skull. "Daniel Daniel Daniel…" He gave his head a quick shake, looking back at his friend with tired eyes. "I am trying to explain everything to you."
"Yeah? Well you're shit."
"You haven't even allowed me a chance to explain!"
"Because you keep trying to attack me!"
Michael gritted his teeth. He was irritated.
"I'm trying to keep you from waking up the whole damn apartment complex."
Dan pulled his eyes off of Michael for the first time, using the time to scan the courtyard. He let his guard down. He took the time to take in the surroundings around him. As he did that, Michael made the wrong calculations. He thought Dan had dropped his defenses in understanding, but he misjudged. As Michael tried to advance, Dan went into panic mode once more. He snapped out of his faze and began moving back and forth trying to read which direction Michael would go. Left or right?
"Daniel… Stop this. This isn't you. You know I would never hurt you." He explained. "Daniel, you know I would never hurt my friends."
"You've hurt people before. I've seen your handy work."
"To humans that are deserving of my justice. You know that. I've told you that. You're my friend. A friend who has done nothing wrong."
"I've done plenty of things in my life. You don't know everything!"
"I know enough to know you're a good man, Daniel… Daniel please. You need to calm that mind of yours and breathe."
"I'm breathing just fine!"
Michael could see Dan was obviously having a hard time grasping the news. And he would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed Dan's labored breathing. He could see the panic attack seeping through the facade Dan was trying to keep up.
This was his fault. His gift was radiating off of him. Because he was scared of Dan being afraid of him, his fear factor was coming out in full force, hitting Dan at a hundred percent.
"I think you're having a panic attack, Daniel. You need to breathe."
"I…" Dan clutched onto his chest as if the last breath of air left his body.
"Daniel?" Michael made one last attempt to walk up to him, but once again, Dan held his hand out. "Seriously? I can actually help you."
"I don't need your help! I've dealt with panic attacks before."
Dan brought his arms above his head, granting his lungs a better chance to obtain oxygen. Michael kept his distance, rolling his eyes with annoyance. He placed his arms over his chest as he watched Dan walk back and forth trying to regain his breathing.
"You alright?"
"No, Michael. I'm obviously not fucking alright." Dan motioned to his appearance. His hands were intertwined together behind his head. The act of having his arms propped up left more room for air to enter his lungs.
"I feel like…" His chest was rising and falling as if he had run a marathon. "I just need a moment."
"Let me…" When Dan skeeted away, Michael backed away once more. "I'm sorry."
"I just… Give me a moment," Dan explained.
Michael nodded his head. He kept his distance by taking up residence on the stone picnic table besides the barbeque pit. He allowed his friend the time he needed to collect his breathing.
From a distance, Michael watched as Dan paced back and forth trying to calm his breathing. The inaudible rambling of Spanish words could be heard slipping from Dan's lips, but Michael didn't bother to listen. He was sure the words were something along the lines of angels and the devil being real.
As the minutes passed, the temperature dropped. A light breeze swept across Michael's shoulders, sending a shiver down his spine. He knew if he was cold, Dan must be freezing.
"Maybe it's best that we head inside? If we stay outside for too long you're going to get sick…" When Dan didn't answer, Michael added, "you'll catch a cold."
"That's the least of my worries right now, Michael."
"Right…"
Dan continued to pace besides the barbeque pit until he managed to bring himself back from the brink of a melt down. As the panic attack subsided, he dropped his arms, swinging them to warm up his body. He wasn't dressed for fifty degree weather.
"Would you like to head back inside now?" Michael called out.
"No…"
"You'll get sick if you stay out here like this."
"Are you my mother now?" Dan snapped. "I think I can handle the cold weather, Michael."
"Alright… Geez."
Michael held his hands up in defeat. There was nothing more he could do for Dan. No matter how much the man showed discomfort he was as stubborn as a mule. He would rather freeze his ass off, then let Michael help him.
Michael let out a sigh. One loud enough to catch Dan's attention. As predicted, he turned his head and looked at Michael.
Dan stopped his movement. He directed his attention over to Michael for the first time in the past ten minutes. His hands were brought up to his mouth, exhaling warm air into his palms.
"I'm sorry if…" He motioned to the connection between them, "if being so close to you causes you stress. I didn't mean for all of this to get out and thrust you into a panicked state."
Dan let out a huff.
"What?" Michael asked.
Dan shook his head. He slipped his hands into his pockets, making sure to keep his warmth close to his body.
"I don't know…" He addressed with defeat. "I mean it's all a shock, but shouldn't come as a surprise."
"My brother has been telling the truth since day one."
"I know. Which just makes all of this even more pathetic!" He pulled his hands out of his pockets and let them run through his hair.
"I don't think you're pathetic, Daniel…"
"Of course not! You're a flippin' angel. You wouldn't think bad of anyone. You're all…" his hands motioned around Michael's body, "holy and shit."
It was Michael's time to laugh.
"I'm not holy or saint-like. You know that. I'm just me."
"You're you… But with really big black wings attached to your back."
"Well yes… That's not going to change." He could tell Dan wanted to get everything out in the open before they had to go back into the apartment, so he kept talking. "Having wings doesn't make you holy."
"Right… Lucifer isn't holy."
"Mmm…" The sentence seemed to rub Michael the wrong way. He pinched his face together showing his distaste for his friend's words. "Don't say that... I love my brother." He watched Dan's face slip. "Against popular belief, Lucifer and I are actually very close. I don't like it when people talks down about him. So whatever humanity has painted my brother out to be should be taken with a grain of salt."
"I… I'm sorry."
"He is still a son of God… He deserves the same respect as me or any of my siblings."
"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't… I'm sorry."
Michael waved his hand in the air dismissing Dan's words. He knew he should not have come at him so hard, but he felt the need to put Dan in his place.
"It's fine. I just need you to know that we're not as humanity paints us to be. I won't smite you in your sleep. And Lucifer won't drag you to Hell at any waking moment. He's retired as you know. Well… about to be retired."
"Fuck… Lucifer is the Devil. Lucifer is the Devil… I insult the Devil on a daily basis. I'm going to Hell. I'm definitely going to Hell."
Before the man could spiral down another mental breakdown, Michael picked himself off the stone bench. He made his way over to Dan, placing his hands on both sides of his shoulders. He directed Dan's focus on him and smiled.
"Hey… Hey look at me. There we go. You're going to be fine. No one is going to Hell because you exchange quips with my brother every so often. If anything it knocks him off that pretty pedestal of his." He shook Dan's shoulders trying to get him to loosen up. "Breathe."
Dan nodded his head and did as Michael instructed.
"In and out."
"In and out," Dan repeated.
When it looked like Dan was relaxed, Michael dropped his arms and directed his friend back over to the stairwell. They needed to take refuge back in the apartment. Not only was Dan ice cold to the touch, but their conversation wasn't one to be held out in the open.
As the two walked up the stairs and back into Dan's apartment, Michael made sure to let the silence stick between the both of them. The last thing he wanted to do was spook Dan once more.
Michael closed the door behind them. Dan quickly made his way over to the couch, grabbing the first blanket he could get his hand on. He went ahead and draped it over his shoulders, seeking warmth from the cold apartment. Michael slowly made his way over to the couch, opting to stand instead of sitting besides Dan. He leaned against the arm rest, letting his hands rest across his chest.
When Dan was ready, he looked up at Michael and asked the first thing that came to his mind.
"Charlotte? She's -"
"In the Silver City… Sorry, Heaven." He corrected. "She's in Heaven patiently waiting for you to join her one day."
That brought a smile to his lips. He let out a chuckle, bringing his hands to his chest. The thought of her being in Heaven was a relief to him. With her background as a defense attorney he imagined she would have ended up in Hell. It was a weight off his shoulders to know she was in the clear. The brief conversations of her worrying about going to Hell finally made sense.
Dan looked up at Michael. His face turned serious.
"She knew, didn't she?"
Michael nodded his head. He dropped his arms and let them rest against his lap. His focus was directed on his fingers as he pulled at the skin around his thumb.
"For how long?" Dan asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, seeing as I wasn't on Earth at the time, but I'm sure it was for a better part of a year. After uh… Well her memory came back to her."
"I…" Dan shook his head trying to recall Charlotte having memory problems. "What did Lucifer do to her? I remember them being so close and then I don't know… She stopped asking about him. At one point she didn't even acknowledge him anymore."
"Uh…"
"Michael?" Dan turned to his side, directing his full attention over to Michael. "What happened to Charlotte?"
"It's all a bit complicated… I'm not entirely sure how it all happened, but…" Michael let out a sigh. He looked up and met Dan's face. "My mother… The Goddess of all creation. She… She was inhabiting Charlotte's body at one point. The memory loss… The woman you knew after the memory loss, that was the real Charlotte Richards."
"Your mom?"
A light bulb went off in Dan's head.
The color in his cheeks washed from his face. His heart began to thump against his chest. He met Dan with wide eyes.
I have had sex with you mom. I fucked God's wife. I fucked GOD'S wife.
Dan stood up from his seat on the couch and began to make a run from it. Before he could get far, Michael wrapped his arms around Dan's body, shielding him from his own spiraling mind.
"Hey hey hey… It's okay. Breathe, Daniel. Breathe." Michael showed him some breathing exercises, but all Dan did was thrash against his hold.
"Nothing is okay," Dan cried out. A whimper escaped his lips as he tried to keep his newfound knowledge to himself. He didn't want Michael knowing he slept with his mother. "Nothing is going to be okay. I'm… This is all too much. This is all too much."
"I know it is, I know." Michael kept his hold on Dan. He placed his forehead along the back of Dan's head, desperately trying to project calm emotions his way. When Dan stopped thrashing, Michael released his hold a little. He turned Dan around and placed his hands on both sides of his shoulders. "You're not the first human to know about celestials. You'll get through this."
Dan nodded his head. He pushed the news of Charlotte Richards and the Goddess to the back of his mind.
One thing at a time. Breathe.
"You okay?" Michael asked.
"Yeah…"
"Would you like to have a seat?"
"Yeah…"
Dan pushed Michael's hands away. He picked the discarded blanket off that had slipped off his shoulder, up off the floor. He placed it back on his shoulders, taking his seat once more back on the couch. Michael followed suit, having himself a seat beside Dan.
A few minutes passed before Dan opened his mouth.
"I want to know everything."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Michael took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"
.
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Hours Later
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"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.
"Is something wrong?" She could vaguely hear Dan in the background asking the same question. "Ella? What happened at work?"
"A new body dropped…" Dan explained to Michael. "Ella, how bad is it?"
"I…" She couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth. She was stuck between Chloe's words and trying to explain that nothing was new from the previous crime scenes. "I um…" She shook her head and snapped out of her haze. She didn't want to do this over the phone. She couldn't possibly question her boyfriend's motives through a phone call. She quickly corrected her mishap and pulled her phone to her ear. "I'm so sorry! I totally didn't mean to call you."
"Oh… You butt dialled me?" Michael asked.
"Kinda. My finger was kinda hovering over the call button." She tried brushing it off, but Dan was able to catch the slip up.
"How bad is the crime scene? Chloe is there, right?" He asked.
"Yeah… She's interviewing the neighbors. She just stepped away." Ella took a few steps over to the side of the room. A spot where she could talk to Dan and Michael more privately without her coworkers listening into her conversation.
"How was Chloe?" Michael asked. "Did she say anything to you?" She could physically hear the concern radiating off his voice.
He's worried she told me something. What are you hiding?
"Um no… You know Chloe. She likes to keep things professional at work. She did seem a little aggravated. You can tell the fight between her and Lucifer was still fresh in her mind. No doubt waking up and coming to work on your day off helps." She was prying to know why Dan had called off. It didn't sound like his excuse was an emergency.
"About that," Dan spoke up. "You know how Michael lied about seeing a doctor yesterday -"
"I'm right here, Daniel."
"Yeah, I know that. But Ella wants an explanation..." The line went silent. Ella pulled the phone away from her ear to see if the call ended. Michael's name was still present on her screen. They muted her.
"Michael?"
The line came back online and she could hear the two men arguing.
"Daniel took me to the hospital to meet with your doctor friend. We're waiting in the lobby. Hence why Daniel is with me," Michael explained.
"So that's the emergency?" She was confused.
"Well no… I accidentally nicked Daniel in the middle of the night. You know how slumber parties go?" A forced chuckle escaped his lips.
"What?" Ella pulled herself off the side of the wall and walked outside of the house. She could hear the two men arguing once more this time about the other being over dramatic. "How? What happened last night?"
She walked down the porch steps and onto the side of the house away from police officers and forensic techs. Once she was a safe distance away she pulled her phone back so she could facetime Michael. It was times like these that she was glad she had convinced him to get an iphone.
Ella went ahead and pressed on the camera button right above her green call button. She watched as her face popped up on the screen waiting for Michael to answer on the other line.
"Are you asking me to facetime… Give me a second, Ells."
Michael answered the request right away. His face popped onto the screen, revealing a disgruntled detective right beside him. If it wasn't for the dark circles under Dan's eye, skewed hair, and the bandaid on his cheek, Ella would have called the men out on their bluff.
"Dan, you look… Well bad. What happened?"
Michael tipped the phone away from Dan's face. Shoving the camera away from Dan's face, so all she saw was his big ass nose.
"I had a nightmare… He tried waking me and it ended with me attacking him in the middle of the night. I've apologized profusely."
"Oh…"
"He's telling the truth. I really shouldn't have woken him up. I probably would have saved myself the -" Dan went quiet as Michael elbowed him on the side. "Oof!"
"How… How is work, babe? You look a little flustered."
"I uh…" Ella was confused by the sudden redirection of conversation, but didn't question it. She shrugged her shoulders in response. "Another dead victim. Still no leads. Chloe's…" She blew out some air, "I don't know about that chica. Last night's fight with Lucifer is really making her dig her heels into the ground. We kinda got into something right as you answered the phone..."
"She tell you anything?"
She watched as Michael flipped the phone so she couldn't see his face. She watched the screen as a pair of feet came into frame.
He's hiding something from me…
"Nope," she lied. "She was pretty insistent that she didn't want to talk about last night. I could tell that she was hurting. I guess the fight was worse than what I expected…"
"I would try to give Chloe some space on the matter, Ells. I'm not saying to completely brush off the conversation, but try to just be an open ear. She'll come around."
"I know…" She looked out into the area and saw a few news reporters scrambling to get footage of the house in back of her. Many trying to push their way past the yellow tape. She watched as some of the uniform officers pushed them back.
"You sure you're okay, babe?"
She looked down at her phone and gave Michael a smile. Although she couldn't see him, he could see her.
"Yeah… Just a long morning." She shrugged off the question. "I wasn't expecting to work today. You know how it is. I highly doubt we'll be able to have our date tonight..."
"Oh…"
She could tell there wasn't sincerity to his voice. A hint of relief could be heard in just one word.
"That's fine… I mean, I know we were both looking forward to today."
He corrected the tone in his voice to match the feelings deep inside him. Because he did feel bad. At the end of the day, he really wanted things to work out so they could have their first lazy day with one another.
"I was really looking forward to today… I had a movie already picked out for us," he smiled. "Weaponizer… Dan let me borrow a copy." Ella relaxed as his tone reflected how she thought he would react. "I know how much you've been trying to get me to watch it."
Ella smiled for the screen. She had been trying to get him to watch the cheesy action movie.
"I have…" She replied.
"But I know how much catching this killer means to you. If canceling our date helps you focus on work, I'll let you do your job. I hate seeing you run around days on end stressed out."
"We can probably reschedule for Sunday. I mean I work the next day, but I can -"
"It's alright, Ells. We can have it next weekend. I know how much this case has been bugging you. All you need to do tonight is worry about this new body drop. I'll get out of your hair and allow you to work. I don't want you to get in trouble with Lieutenant Herrera… He's already called me three time today. I'm actually supposed to stop by around noon. If you're at the precinct maybe we can grab a quick lunch?"
"Yeah! I uh… I'd like that." She looked away from her phone and found Chloe looking at her. She was sure Chloe could hear who she was talking to. "I… I gotta go, Michael. I'm sorry I accidentally called you. I will most likely see you at the precinct later on. If you don't see me, just call or text me. I wouldn't step into my office. I have evidence all over my desk… Wouldn't want the Lieutenant to -"
"I read you loud and clear, babe. I'll text you."
"Thank you." She flashed the camera a smile. As she did so, the screen flipped back to Michael. She looked at his handsome face once more and smiled brighter. "I'll talk to you later?"
"We will... I'll let you go. Hope you find some new evidence."
"I do too…"
"You will."
"Doctors want to see you, Michael," Dan called out.
"Yeah… I gotta go, babe."
"Go, go. I have to head back inside as well." The two shared one more smile. "Bye, handsome."
"Bye, beautiful."
The call ended. She dropped her hand, placing the phone into her back pocket. As she was about to head back into the house to go over the crime scene, a man lifted the yellow evidence divider that separated the civilians from the crime scene inside. He pushed himself away from the divider and made his way over to Ella.
"Excuse me?"
Ella turned around and looked at the man. She lifted up her hands signalling for him to step back behind the divider.
"You need to get behind the tape. This is an active crime scene."
"I will… I just…" He looked past her head where he could see forensics come in and out of the house. "I'm a journalist and my boss is going to kill me if I don't come back with something. It's…" He let out a chuckle. "It's my first week on the job. Mind helping me out?"
He looked innocent enough, but something in the back of her head was telling her not to interact with him. Ella tried backing away, but the man only advanced.
"My name is Pete!" He called out, making Ella stop. "Pete Daily." He extended his hand with a friendly smile. "You are?"
Ella took a second to look around the crime scene. Everything was inside the house. She had ordered her team not to move the body until she was done taking pictures. Other than the yellow divider cutting everyone off from the crime scene there was nothing for him to actually see.
Caving into his charm, Ella smiled. She extended her hand, shaking the journalist's hand.
"Ella, Ella Lopez."
"Ah, a fellow, Latino!" He let go of her hand, opting to hold onto the camera that hung around his neck. "Hablo español?"
"Sí." She let a smile spread across her lips. "But that's not going to help you get information out of me."
"Caught me!" He lifted his hands in the air.
"I can't help you. I really shouldn't even be talking to you right now. So I would suggest getting behind that yellow tape and letting the police do their job." She backed away once more, but Pete stopped her.
"You don't look like a cop… How come you're behind that line?"
"I can see you're a persistent journalist."
"Gotta be if I want to be someone. So come on. What do you do behind the yellow tape?" His hands went back to the scraps of his camera.
She didn't see the harm in answering his question. Just so long as his questions stayed away from the active crime scene behind her.
"I'm the lead forensics on this case. I oversee the crime scene before anyone else," she said with pride.
"Is that true?" There was a sparkle in his eye she couldn't quite break down. A smile formed across Pete's face. He took a step closer, pulling a notepad out of his pocket. "It seems I just ran into the most important person on the case. Mind giving me insight to the alleged serial killer that seems to be plaguing the city?"
"I never mentioned anything about this case being linked to the killing around town…"
"I wasn't asking about this case, just the killer that's been dropping bodies around town… But thanks for the information." He took a second to jot something down. "Again, any opinions on the illude killer the LAPD has failed to track down?"
"No comment…"
Pete looked up from his journal. He let his hand fall to the side so he could give Ella his attention once more. He dropped his journalist act and apologized.
"I'm sorry… I've been buried in paperwork all week. Like I said earlier, my boss is really looking at me for some information on this new body drop. I forget how forward I can be sometimes."
Ella slowered her shields and looked at the man in front of her with pity. She knew what it was like to be under pressure from a higher up. But although she felt pity, there was no chance she was giving him any leads that would help him in his work.
"It's fine... I'm all too aware of how stressful jobs can be."
"Right with the…" He motioned to the officers and forensic team around the rundown house. "I could imagine how stressful an ongoing case can be. I've seen enough NCIS and Criminal Minds to know it's not an easy job."
"Nope. pretty stressful, but rewarding work." Ella flashed him a sympathetic smile before breaking eye contact. Opting to mess with her camera around her neck. "I should probably get going. I've been away from the scene a little too long. It was nice meeting you, Pete. Sorry I couldn't have been of more help."
"That's alright! But before you go… I uh… I don't usually do this. Kinda new to the city. Wouldn't mind having a friend around these parts. Mind if I get your number?"
He was sweet. Handsome in his own way. But she knew what he was doing. If it was truly an olive branch to be friends with one another, then that was fine. She loved making new friends. But something in the back of her head knew this wasn't just a handout to make a new acquaintance. He was genuine. It was an extension to ask her out on a date. She had seen it enough times. She has had it used on her enough times.
Today just wasn't going to work. She had Michael. Her sweet, gullible lug. As Pete pulled out his phone ready to catch her number, Ella shook her head, stopping him.
"I'm actually seeing someone. I don't know how my boyfriend would take to me having a guy I just met in my contact list…"
She wasn't entirely sure how Michael would take the news, but from her past relationships, it wasn't a good sign. She knew Michael was protective, but he never showed signs of possessiveness.
"Oh! My mistake. I, in no way wanted to -"
"Hey, Ella. I could really use you back inside. One of your guys found something… I uh…" Chloe walked over to the pair, looking over at Pete confused. "You don't work for the LAPD."
"I don't… Apologies. Pete Daily." He extended his hand. "I work for the Los Angeles Telegraph. Newly hired, but already in the trenches. You must be Detective Decker." He noticed how her eyes squinted at his hand. When she didn't shake it, Pete pulled his hand back.
"Ella, you know we're not allowed to talk to the press."
"I know. I've been trying to get him to leave. I caught him sneaking under the tape."
"Way to throw me under the bus, new friend," Pete whispered.
"Not a friend!" Ella pointed out. She looked at Chloe trying to get her friend to believe her. "Simply caught him before he could get any further. Which, I'm so glad you showed up, Chloe. Maybe you can get him to leave," she whispered the last part.
Chloe nodded her head. She turned back to Pete and shot him a look. He immediately took the hint. He lifted his hands in the air and started walking backwards.
"Alright, alright. I'll let you fine ladies get back to work." She shot Ella a smile. "I hope you're able to catch your killer." He bowed his head. "Until next time, ladies." He made a quick turn and ducked under the yellow tape.
Chloe turned to her side and looked at Ella. She had an eyebrow raised as the forensic scientist watched Pete leave the general area.
"Who was that?"
"I have absolutely no idea." When she felt Chloe's cold glare still on her, Ella pulled her eyes off Pete. "Seriously. The dude just started walking past the yellow divider like he owned the place."
"He seemed a little friendly with you." Chloe pointed out.
"Tots caught onto that as well! I mean he's cute, but I got Michael." She nudged Chloe on the elbow. "Plus, journalist?" She blew raspberries. "Full of themselves. I like my troublemaker. He keeps me on my toes." She flashed Chloe a smile.
"Right…"
"Are we seriously not going to talk about last night? You're holding something against Michael and I seriously -"
"This isn't about Michael, Ella. Last night was about Lucifer and I. I have nothing against Michael…"
"It sure sounds like you have something against him. Telling me he's hiding something from me… I know he has a dark past. I could smell it on him from a mile away when I first examined him at Lux. But a person is more than just their past. You have to accept the person they are now and love who they let you see." Ella fidgeted with the straps of her camera. "You know I talked to Lucifer before you showed up yesterday. He was pretty nervous about talking to you about something…" Ella looked up to meet Chloe's eyes. "He didn't go over what he wanted to talk to you about, but I could see it was eating him out. He was panicking. He kept going on how he was going to lose you." Chloe's cold exterior melted. Ella's words breaking down the walls she had started to build up. "He kept going on about how he wasn't worthy about you, Decker…"
"I… He did?"
Ella nodded her head.
"We have to accept the twins for their faults. Just like we expect them to accept us. I'm not saying they are clean of any secrets they hold, because I'll get my truth when the time is right. But I'm not going to shut Michael out. He's told me from day one there is something he was hiding. I've chosen to let him take his time… From what Michael tells me about Lucifer and his relationship with their family, the guy was severely neglected and abused growing up. That kind of trauma changes a person. Whatever problems are going on with you and Lucifer just need to be talked over. Talking helps a lot, Chlo. Give the guy a chance to redeem himself. He loves you enough to move Heaven and Earth for you. I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt."
Ella placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder. She gave the woman's shoulder a squeeze before walking away to go over her crime scene once more. As Ella walked away Chloe gave Ella's words some thought.
She was right.
Ella was always insightful even when she was in the dark with celestial drama.
Chloe let out a chuckle. If she only knew.
Lucifer loving me enough to move Heaven and Earth? More like Hell and Earth…
And that's what he was doing. Physically altering Hell command to permanently stay on Earth. All because she ran away when she should have stayed by his side. Everything came back to her because she was too cowardly enough to talk to Lucifer.
What am I doing? What are you doing?
Chloe shook her head, pulling her phone out of her pocket. There was't anymore she could do at the crime scene. She needed to file a report about the new body, but it could be done later. In the comfort of her home. The comfort of Lucifer's penthouse.
She scrolled through her favorites in her contact list and searched for Lucifer's number. Out of reflex, she pressed on his name and let her phone dial the Devil. Her ear flew up to her ear, waiting for her best friend to answer.
.
.
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Yes, Pete Daily has made an entrance! But hold on the questions... Yes, he is who you think he is. No, he will not weasle is way in between Michael and Ella. With that answered. How did you like the chapter? I know it was a lot of dialogue, but I hope you laughed. I hope you understood where Ella was going with her ending statement. I really want to dive into the torture the twins have had to go through. I hope to cover a little of that in the next chapter. It will focus on Lucifer and Chloe, but Ella and Michael will come face to face with one another when they meet at the precinct... Phew! I have long chapters ahead of me. Hope to have everything done for next week!