"It's Called: Freefall" - Rainbow Kitten Surprise
I apologize for the month long wait on the update. The holidays and work kinda got the better of me. Next chapter is already being edited, but I always find ways to hold it off. Hopefully the next chapter doesn't take a month to edit! Enjoy!
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Dan
Dan found his way inside the elevator of Lucifer's building. The orange glow soothed him as his nerves jumped around under his skin. He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves.
"You got this… Don't chicken out now," he told himself.
Dan reached out, clicking the button that would lead him to the top floor.
He shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe he was visiting Lucifer. Out of all the places to spend his free Saturday mornings, Lux was the last place he would have pictured himself. Nevertheless, alone. He would have much rather had Michael by his side, creating a barrier between the Devil and him.
"The Devil…" He let out a chuckle. "He's real. He's real and he picks on me on a daily basis… He's real and he's boinking my ex-wife." He shuttered from the realization.
Before he had a chance to change his mind on actually going through with visiting Lucifer, the elevator doors parted. The complementary ding that came with an elevator greeting, blurred by his nervousness.
"Right then…"
Dan let his right foot lead him into the penthouse.
Right away Dan knew something was off. There was broken glass everywhere. Off to the left side of the large room, he noticed the books on the wall tossed onto the floor. It looked like someone had ransacked the place.
Immediately going into Detective mode, Dan reached for his gun. It was a force of habit. But alas, he was off duty. He had left his gun tucked away in his safe back at the apartment.
"Shit…"
He kept his back to the book shelf as he tried to get a run down of what could have happened.
"Lucifer?" He called out.
Dan walked along the library taking in the small details he could. Books open on ancient texts. Half drank glasses of dark liquid displaced on the shelfs. Broken glass with no source of origin. He did the best he could by kicking the glass off to the side, but he knew the mess would have to be cleaned up with a broom.
"Lucifer?" He called out again.
He rounded back over to the elevator to check the bedroom. As far as he could tell, Lucifer wasn't sleeping. The bed was made.
He looked over to the wall of alcohol and found bottles on the counter. He's been drinking.
"Hey, Lucifer?"
Dan lowered his guard as he noticed a figure outside on the balcony.
"Lucifer?"
He started making his way over to the sliding glass door. The crunch of broken glass caught the attention of the Devil.
"Ah!" Lucifer turned around with a sour smile on his face, a glass of whiskey in his hand. "Daniel... Come to rub my misfortunes in my face?"
"What? No…"
"Hmm." Lucifer lifted his glass, cheering his visitor, before tossing back the remaining contents in his glass. "Could have fooled me." A small burp escaped Lucifer's lips. He proceeded to fill his glass with the flask from his robe pocket.
Taken back by the stench of alcohol rolling off of Lucifer, Dan pinched his face. Lucifer smelt like a distillery. Dan quickly fanned away the smell as Lucifer moved about the balcony. The slight way Lucifer wobbled about made him question the man's capabilities.
"Are you… Are you drunk?" How was that even possible?
With his whiskey glass placed ever so loose in his hand, Lucifer pulled it away from his lips to give it a quick inspection. His eyes moved about with the liquid as it sloshed around in his glass.
Lucifer couldn't quite remember the glass number he was on. He really hadn't stopped drinking since he left the Detective's apartment. The number of bottles he consumed tallied around a dozen. He knew that for sure. What he wasn't sure about was how it was even possible seeing as the Detective was on the other side of town.
"Appears so… Magnificent!" He let out a chuckle.
"How? Aren't you immortal? I thought you couldn't get drunk?"
Lucifer didn't seem to catch Daniel's statement. His focus was once again back on the glass of whiskey that resided in his hand. His thoughts circulated around the notion that the current liquor he had been consuming for the past hour could be a result from his brother's secret stash. Afterall, he did find it tucked away in his brother's belongings.
Bothered by the idea that he was indeed drunk and couldn't put his finger as to why that was, Lucifer placed the glass on a plant holder. His eyes fell down to his feet as he unraveled his robe.
"What are you doing?" Dan asked.
"Shush, Daniel. I'm conducting an experiment." He pulled at the elastic of his boxer briefs and began scrunching up his face.
"Yeah, no. I'm not doing this," he murmured to himself.
Dan turned in his spot and walked back in the penthouse. He avoided all caution of broken glass, stepping on the small bites, scratching up the black floor. He was two steps from the elevator when he closed his eyes and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Ah ha! Nothing can stop big Ben!" Lucifer cheered out. A tent started to pitch from under his boxers. Much like the man before him, Lucifer walked back into the penthouse, stepping over the broken glass without a care in the world.
"What are you doing?" Dan told himself. He brought his hands up to his face and gave it a rub down.
"Daniel, look!" A smile was on his face as he wanted to show Dan his progress.
"How did I get here... Why am I even here?"
"Get where?" Lucifer looked up from his project. He dropped the tassel of his robe and kicked off the stubborn glass that poked under his bare feet. Dan didn't miss the way Lucifer brushed the glass off like it was soft lint. "You're the one who walked into my home." Lucifer swaggered over to the other side of the living room where his wall of alcohol awaited him.
Dan turned around to see Lucifer behind his private bar sifting through more alcohol.
"It's almost noon, Lucifer. Shouldn't you be… I don't know, taking it easy?"
A bout of raspberries blew from Lucifer's lips. Odd. Dan walked over to join Lucifer, he stood on the other side of the bar, waiting for the Devil to turn around.
"If I made myself a Bloody Mary, I would have a snack and a drink. Let me…" He disappeared below the counter, sorting through his mini fridge. "Look for the celery… Now where are you?"
Dan leaned over the counter to get a better look at his friend. The man looked like shit. This was the worst he had been Lucifer in awhile. His hair was unkempt. Dark rings ghosted his under eyes. He was sure he noticed orange stains on Lucifer's black robe. Cheetos? He wasn't sure.
"You doing okay, man?"
"Of course, Daniel. I'm peachy!"
"No, but really…" Dan retreated from off the counter, opting to move over to the side to get a better look. He could see Lucifer tossing old fruit and vegetables into the trash besides him. Once again Lucifer failed to hear him. Dan let out a sigh. "When was the last time you went grocery shopping?"
"Its… Its been some time," he grumbled.
"I guess Michael needs to do a better job at cleaning out rotten food," Dan chuckled.
"Mmm."
Once all the rotten food was discarded into the trash, Lucifer stood back up. His interest in making a Bloody Mary was no longer on his mind. He dusted off the imaginary dirt off his hands and turned around to face Dan.
"So… What can I do for you this fine morning?" Lucifer had his hands on the bar counter top with a bright smile on his face.
Dan looked up at Lucifer with pity in his eyes. He had always imagined the Devil to be ruthless and indestructible. But here, right now. All he saw was a heartbroken man, trying to hold onto his reality that was caving in all around him.
Before Dan was able to open his mouth, Lucifer stopped him. He turned around and examined the liquor he had on his wall.
"You know what, before you ruin my morning with your druey words, perhaps you'll indulge me with a glass of Macallan?"
He's seriously offering me a glass of his most expensive whiskey?
He had no objections to the proposal. Dan nodded his head with enthusiasm. He would take Lucifer's brief burst of kindness wherever he could get it.
"Ah, good man!" He pulled the bottle off the rack. Lifted the top off his custom bottle and took the first sniff of its sweetness. "Mmm." Lucifer flashed his companion a smile. As one glass filled with at least two knuckles deep of liquid, Dan spoke up, stopping Lucifer from pouring a second.
"Actually… If you're offering. I wouldn't mind trying a glass of your Lagavulin." Lucifer looked up from his poured glass with a surprised look upon his face. "I might have tried a glass or two with Michael at one point."
Lucifer let the corners of his lips perk up.
"Consider me impressed. Not many have the palate for Lagavulin."
"I enjoy the darker taste."
"Well," Lucifer turned around and plucked said bottle off the wall. "It would seem like you and I have a lot to discuss. A man who chooses Lagavulin over my Maccallan has to have something on his mind."
"One of those days, you know?"
"Indeed…" Lucifer went ahead and poured a glass for Dan. "I take it, it's your day off for the day. I've never known you to drink on the clock."
"You're right." He accepted the glass. His fingers played with the engraving along the glass. "I actually called off today."
Lucifer lifted his glass up to his lips, taking in the taste of his favorite single malt. When he was satisfied with the amount he consumed, he swung his index finger at Dan, flashing him a smile.
"Good for you. It's a beautiful Saturday morning! Enjoy them while you can. You never know when they might be your last…" He brought his glass back up to his lips to finish his drink. He quickly took back his comment as he watched Dan's eyes widen in fear. "You know… Because you're all work and no play. Honestly Daniel, when was the last time you took a day to relax and unwind by yourself?"
When was the last time I relaxed? Certainly not in the last two months. With all the paperwork and Los X manhunt… I have been working hard. If I'm not working, I'm on dad duty. Constantly putting on a smile and entertaining Trixie… I honestly can't remember the last time I went to a bar or talked to anyone other than the people I work with. Life isn't all about work. Maybe I should take a vacation, one like Chloe. The thought interested him. He let a smile form into his glass.
"... Maybe you're right," Dan replied.
"I'm always right, Daniel."
Debatable…
Dan turned around and looked around the Devil's penthouse. He had been in his living quarters before, but everything seemed to make more sense now. The Assyrian writing on the stone walls. The absurd text collection in his library. The religious contents hidden in plain sight.
The corner of his lips perked up.
He's not crazy.
"Ooo." Lucifer leaned closer to get a better look at Dan. "Something has gotten into you." He eyed the man's form, head to toe. "Something other than my alcohol collection."
He moved from behind the bar, making his way over to the living room. With glass in hand, Lucifer beckoned Dan to join him for a proper conversation. Once he saw Dan push off from the counter, he walked deeper into his penthouse.
Lucifer walked barefoot over the glass once more, not even bothering to dodge the glass as he made his way over to the couch. Not a single wince flashed across his face as his feet stepped over the shape edges of the broken glass.
Dan stood shocked as he looked closer at the evidence in front of him.
He's the Devil. Nothing hurts him.
"Coming, Daniel?"
"Uh… Yeah, sorry."
Dan moved from his spot over by the bar, making his way into the open room. He made sure to kick the broken glass over to the side as he made his way over to the couch. He made a gesture to Lucifer on why there was glass on the floor.
"Mmm… Had a rather bad night last night. Ignore it. I'll get Patrick to clean it later."
"You okay, man?"
His constant check-in had him feeling like he was sucking up to the Devil. That maybe if he befriended the Devil himself, he would be free of ever entering the gates of Hell. But that wasn't the case. It was a genuine question. He was actually concerned for the celestial in front of him. It didn't take a Detective to see that Lucifer was going through something. Take the broken glass littering the floor and the collection of aged alcohol decorating all the open surfaces areas… Take all of that out of the equation. And you are still left with a man looking to drown his sorrows.
When Lucifer raised a brow, Dan pushed forward. He took a seat on the edge of the couch.
"I know about the argument with Chloe."
"Of course…" Lucifer rolled his eyes. He relaxed into the couch, crossing one leg over the other. His robe flared out along his thighs revealing his soft hairless legs. "Did the urchin call you asking me to keep my distance? Because you should assure her that I have tossed my phone off the terrace. I didn't mean to call the Detective all night. My… My drunken state blindsided my thinking. I made quick work of ridding us of all drunken texts and calls. I wouldn't want to bother the Detective and her tiny bodyguard anymore with my…"
His throat constricted against his will. He stopped talking as if he was about to cry. Dan caught the moment immediately. If he hadn't known what the fight was about he would have missed the slight drop of Lucifer's strong mask.
"Well you can tell Beatrice I won't be bothering her or her mother for the foreseeable future. I plan to head back to my other job before the end of the day. I just need to go over a few things with my brother before I leave." Lucifer fixed the flaps of his robe, tucking them towards his body, somehow feeling insecure about his appearance.
"You're leaving?" Dan asked.
"I still have a week left before my successor takes over. Wouldn't want her thinking I've up and left before my term is officially over."
"I guess not… That would be rude." Lucifer hummed into his glass as he had himself another sip of his drink. "Your successor… Her name is Lilith, right?"
"Correct." Lucifer didn't even bat an eye as Dan uttered the name. He just reached into his robe pocket and refilled his glass with Michael's alcohol.
"Maze's mom?"
"Yes." Again he refused to question Dan's knowledge.
"Who is somehow in Hell, ruling in your absence?"
"Well where else, Daniel?" Lucifer looked up from his glass and gave Dan a look. "As I was saying earlier, I still have a week left to show her the ropes. So I'll be taking my leave soon. I just need to track down my brother." He looked around the room, somehow waiting for his twin to walk around the corner. "You wouldn't happen to know what hole Michael has crawled his way into, would you?"
"I uh… Yeah. He's currently at the police station -"
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "What has my brother done now?"
"Nothing. He got a call from Lieutenant Herrera asking him to come in for a meeting. I just dropped him off before making my way over here. He's not in trouble… Well, at least to my knowledge." I probably should have stayed with him. "Why do you need to talk to him?"
Lucifer shook his head. "Idiot... And Dad said I was the impulsive one." He brought his glass up to his lips. His words were meant for himself rather than Dan. As he pulled the glass away from his lips, Lucifer looked back at Dan.
"I just have to go over some stuff with him before I leave. Michael has been running my books to the tee since I've been gone. I wanted to talk to him about closing them out. I have no use for payment on my favors anymore. His shenanigans seemed to come from the favors, I think it's time to wrangle my brother in, before he gets into even more trouble."
"I see…" That's actually the most mature thing I've ever heard you say. There's actually a responsible adult behind that facade.
"Do you know when he'll be done with the Lieutenant? I'd like to leave LA before the sun goes down."
"I have no idea…" Dan shrugged his shoulders. He brought his glass up to his lips unaware of the frustration that was building inside Lucifer's head.
"Useful as always, Daniel." Lucifer let out a huff. He went back to drinking his single malt, no longer bothering to give Dan the time of day.
"Hey! Now, come on. I thought we were having a moment... I didn't do anything to you. You're upset and taking your… Well I don't know what, but I know you're not upset with me. You're upset with last night."
"And what would you know about last night?" Before Dan could answer, Lucifer cut him off. "Nothing, that's what."
Dan placed his glass onto the table in front of him and looked Lucifer right in the eyes.
"I know Chloe just found out she's a miracle. I know she told you to leave and that's why you're a moody asshole right now. I know more than you think, Lucifer. So stop the shit talking and talk to me like an actual person."
Lucifer straightened his spine as the words fell out of Dan's mouth. The two sat in silence as Lucifer tried to come around to the information Dan had just uttered. When he was ready, he flashed Dan a smile. He placed his glass besides Dan's glass and scooted over to the edge of his seat.
"You know now… Who told you?" He shook his head. "Actually, how did you find out?"
"Michael… He uh…" He swallowed the spit that had accumulated in his mouth. "I woke him up from a nightmare. He thanked me with razor sharp wings to the throat. Hence the…" He motioned to his cheek. The bandage starred Lucifer like a badge of honor.
Lucifer's eyes fell onto the man's cheek as if he was looking at the bandage for the first time. He couldn't believe he had not noticed it earlier.
Lucifer let out a hearty laugh. He lifted himself up from his seat and made his way over to the other side of the table. Dan was seated on the individual chair across from him. As the Devil drew closer, Dan shrunk into his chair. Lucifer's presence was large as he towered over him. Once Lucifer took a seat on the arm rest, Dan relaxed.
He watched as Lucifer removed the bandage to observe the damage his brother had done. The sticky solution peeled from his skin forcing Dan to wince. Once the damage revealed itself, Lucifer's smile only grew brighter. It was a clean slice, nothing too deep, but nothing to take lightly.
"Oh this is hilarious!"
"No, it's not," Dan deadpanned. He swatted Lucifer's hand away, placing the bandage back against his skin.
"Oh, but it is!" Lucifer picked himself up from the chair. He made his way over to his desk in search of something. "Now, where did I put you?" He began ruffling through paperwork that littered his desk. Lifting papers to find the one thing he was looking for.
"Michael and I talked through the night… We talked about everything."
"Had yourself a little sleepover? I wondered where he had gone off to after leaving the Detective's place. I would have thought he'd end up at Miss Lopez's, but," he shrugged, "seems everything turned out swell. I'd rather have you with a scar than Miss Lopez. I don't think Mikey would have forgiven himself if he had hurt her." Lucifer continued his search. Papers started flying everywhere as he continued his search. "Where did I put you!" He growled.
Dan ignored Lucifer's words. He was fine with being attacked in the night, if it meant Michael hurting him over Ella, he would take it any day.
"You know after all these years I thought you were some nut job. You let me believe you were this complete nutcase and you seemed to love it. Why? Why would you let me believe that? I… I threatened you on multiple occasions and you just laughed at me. I literally threatened the Devil and you could have smited me at any moment."
Lucifer stopped his searching and looked at Dan. He let out another laugh and went back to his search.
"Oh, Daniel… First off I can't smite anyone. That's my father's schtick. And Secondly… For the fun of course!"
Note to self. Dan told himself. The Devil is incapable of smiting humans. That was good to know.
"But it wasn't funny… None of this is funny!"
"Well not for you," Lucifer chuckled. "It was definitely hilarious for me. Still is!"
Dan wasn't sure why Lucifer was laughing. He truly couldn't see the humor of him not knowing he was the Devil.
"Alright. You've had your laugh. Ha, ha, ha," he mocked.
"Hmm... I'm just glad to know you haven't tried to murder me. Not many people take the news that well." Lucifer made a face as he remembered the Detective's lack of faith in him. He quickly shook off the memory. His attention was back to looking for his missing item.
"Believe me, I didn't take the news that well at first. I almost woke up my whole apartment complex just trying to get away from Michael. But honestly…" Dan ran a hand over his face. "I don't think I would be standing here if I had found out from you first… No offense." His brief conversation with Michael illustrated his brother's Devil face. That was the last thing he ever wanted to see.
"None taken."
"Better to learn about Heaven and Hell from an angel than well," he motioned to Lucifer, "the Devil."
"Rude," Lucifer squaked. "I'm still an angel. I may not go around telling people, but I'm still one. I never stopped being one. Being the Devil is a title not…" His train of thought was lost. "I'm still a bloody angel!" He called out.
"Alright!" Dan lifted his hands in surrender. "Sorry…"
"Apology waiting approval." Lucifer adjusted the flaps of his robe. He lifted his nose up to the air and let out a huff. "I enjoyed the side of you that wasn't rude. The one who was easily annoyed by my daily acts. Where's that side of you?"
Dan rolled his eyes, "still here."
"Yeah well, I don't see it. I quite enjoyed you being in the dark. I got to tease you on a daily basis. What's going to bring me joy now?"
"Is that what it's like in Hell?" Dan asked.
"Is what like in Hell?" His attention was elsewhere, Dan's words were barely registering to him once again.
"The teasing and belittling you do to me. I imagine you do it because you hate me. So with you being the Devil, you personally torture people. So am I living my own Hell early?"
"What?" Lucifer stopped what he was doing and looked at Dan. "I don't hate you."
"You don't?" Lucifer's words shouldn't have meant so much to him, but they did.
"No," he chuckled. "Do I enjoy messing with you? Yes. But do I actually hate you? No. We have this little dance, Daniel. Our dance." Lucifer talked with his hands as he pointed between him and Dan. "You say something to me, I say something back. You leave in a huff and then I steal one of your puddings. It's our thing." He flashed Dan a smile.
"I…" Dan got up from his seat and walked away to Lucifer. "That's not a thing, Lucifer. You picking on me for your own pleasure isn't something I enjoy. Why would you think that's something I want to do with you on a daily basis?" There was anger behind his words.
"I don't know, Daniel. Manly bonding?" He shrugged his shoulders, blowing off the conversation. He focused his attention back to his searching.
Manly bonding?! I…
Dan pinched the brim of his nose, unable to articulate how frustrated he was at the moment.
Lucifer began tossing items on the floor. The thuds of a large book hitting the floor, startled him.
"What are you looking for?"
"My phone. I remember tossing it on the desk sometime around midnight. I should -"
"You said you tossed it off the balcony," Dan cut in.
"That's right…" Lucifer's shoulders shrugged with defeat. "Bollocks." He pulled back the chair, collapsing into the seat. "Dammit." So much for a picture of Michael's handiwork.
Dan watched Lucifer closely. He couldn't understand how he was ever scared of him. Last night he was blinded with fear as the thought of the Devil being real became realistic. But now… Seeing the Devil in front of him, Dan felt differently.
He had pictured the Devil differently. He imagined the horns, tail, little red man with the pointy goatee. The man in front of him now… Well he was no Devil. Lucifer's hair was a mess. There were bags under his eyes. He was still in his morning attire. This man in front of him wasn't the same Lucifer who held himself above everyone else. He was a broken man. The bags under his eyes said everything.
Dan let out a sigh. He moved the papers that were on the side of the desk so he could sit. Lucifer watched him closely as he sat beside him.
"Wanna talk about this fight with Chloe? I can see you didn't take it so well." He looked over into the living room. The glass told a story of his reckless behavior.
"It wasn't a fight…"
"Heated argument?"
"I never raised my voice to her."
"So then what was it?" Dan pressed.
"I don't know..." Lucifer crossed his arms over his chest. "All I know is that she doesn't want to be around me anymore."
"Now I know that's not true."
"And how would you know? Did the two of you have a nice little chat this morning? Did the two of you exchange experiences by the coffee stand?" Lucifer snapped.
"Dude…" Dan looked at Lucifer with annoyance. He understood Lucifer was going through something, but there was no need for him to act the way he was right now. "Reel it back... In fact, dial it back a few notches. I'm just trying to help you."
Lucifer's eyes dropped onto the desk in front of him. His hands came to rest on his lap as he took his scolding from Dan.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled.
"It's fine…" Dan waved him off. "I just…" He let out a sigh. "I know Chloe enough to know she doesn't want you gone. She's been pretty miserable without you around."
"You didn't see her last night…"
"I may not have, but I know the last thing she wants is you skipping town and running away again."
"I'm not running away." His head shot up. It was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to go back to Hell, but he still had work to do. His timing could have been better, but he knew she deserved the right to know.
"Aren't you?" He looked around the room, motioning to the liquor bottles decorating the living room. "It's been less than twenty-four hours since you've last talked to Chloe and you've already drunk half your collection. You may not be in Hell, a completely different realm away," he pointed out, "but you've fallen back into old habits. You just started something with Chloe and you've already found a way to keep away from her."
Dan knew his words were blunt, but it's what Lucifer had to hear. He was sick of seeing them within reach of one another, just for the other to pull away. And it wasn't that they were bad for one another, they weren't. Chloe and Lucifer worked well with one another. He was sure Chloe was the only woman that could tame him. And Lucifer, the only one to pull the fun side out of Chloe. The two honestly complemented one another.
"Did she actually tell you she didn't want to see you?"
"Well no…" Lucifer kicked the glass away from his feet. "But the last time she pulled away from me like she did, she ran to Rome and befriended a psycho priest who later tried to send me back to Hell."
"I…" Dan shook his head in confusion. "What?" What exactly have I been missing all these years?
"Mmm… Seems my brother only gave you the Cliffnotes. Another time, Daniel. There's too much to catch you up on. I have little time left and I'd honestly not want to waste it with you… No offense."
"Ouch… But I understand." He pushed himself off the desk, granting himself some distance from Lucifer. "The point is…" He grabbed ahold of the remaining concentration Lucifer would give him. "Chloe didn't tell you to leave. Unless she actually says the words, it doesn't mean anything. Trust me," Dan shoved his hands in his pockets, "don't stop fighting just because things get a little rocky. I didn't fight for her like I should have. I think a part of her wish I had before you showed up."
"Your marriage was already out the door when I came in. There was no fixing that. You made sure of it by making everyone in the precinct think she was –"
"Again, ouch. Dude, I'm trying to have a heartfelt moment with you and you're just –"
"My apologies!" Lucifer lifted his hands up. "I'm sorry. Proceed, Daniel…"
"I…" He shook his head, letting out a sigh in the wake. "Just talk to her. That's all I gotta say. Don't leave before talking to her one last time. Something tells me she just needed the night to go over everything. It's a lot to take in. Like a lot." Dan's eyes widened as he remembered all the things he had learned in the past few hours.
"I suppose you're right…"
"I am right."
"You usually aren't," Lucifer quipped.
"Mmm debatable."
"No, you —"
"Heartfelt moment, Lucifer. Don't ruin it."
"Right!" Lucifer jumped out of his chair. He made sure to close his robe, before looking at Dan from head to toe.
"What?"
Lucifer extended his arms, somewhat inviting Dan in for a hug.
"What are you doing?"
"Heartfelt moment, Daniel. Now, come on." He beckoned the man to enter his embrace.
"Yeah no," he shook his head in disapproval. "No."
"No?"
"Yeah, no." Dan walked away, heading over to his discarded glass of Lagavulin on the coffee table.
"Right…" Lucifer dropped his arms onto his side and watched Dan walk away.
"I don't know if Chloe mentioned anything to you…" Dan had himself a seat on the individual chair, across from the couch. "But a new body dropped this morning."
"What?" Lucifer made his way over to the couch.
"Mmm," he pulled the glass away from his lips. "The Lieutenant gave me a call this morning, but I had him pass it over to Chloe. She hasn't filled me in on the details, but from what the Lieutenant told me… It's our guy."
Lucifer plopped himself on the couch, stumped as to how their serial killer was still at large. He had just found out about their latest case. Talked about it intensively with the Detective and still had not found a lead for her to follow.
"She might have tried to contact me, but since my phone," his eyes traveled over to the balcony, "is currently on Sunset Boulevard being trampled by ongoing traffic. I doubt anything would have gotten back to me." If I was of importance, she would have stopped by… Lucifer shakes the thought from his head and waits for Dan's reply.
"True." Dan went ahead and took another sip of his glass before placing it permanently on the table before him. "Cucuza mentioned that you were helping Chloe with a lead. Michael mentioned something about Hell? A race…"
"Yes. Turned out to be a dead end on both our parts. Our victims ascended to Heaven and well," Lucifer tried not to roll his eyes, "my brother, Zadkiel seems to be girl-bossing the gates to Heaven." Dan raised his eyebrow, confused. "Michael was denied entry."
"Wait, really? Is that bad?"
"Possibly." Lucifer showed no concern. He crossed his leg over the other, placing an arm along the back of the couch. "But Michael has always been a Boy Scout. A favorite is you must." It hurt him to utter the words. He withheld bile as he finished his sentence. "He's probably being placed on a timeout for his Devilish actions as of late."
Michael has been a little rebellious as of late. I'm honestly surprised no one has come to talk to him about it. If Michael was my child I would talk to him… But I'm not God… Does God scold his children?
Dan looked over to Lucifer and frowned.
Of course he does.
Dan looked down at his hands and fidgeted with the loose skin around his cuticles.
"Something on your mind, Daniel?"
Dan shook his head. He changed the topic of discussion and looked back at Lucifer. The Devil seemed to be sobering up. The dark hues under his eyes were lightening up. He cleared his throat and decided it was best to poke around the topic of Chloe once more.
"Actually there is…"
"Hmm?"
"You and Chloe… There's this uh… Michael was telling me a little about the theory you have behind Chloe's miracle status."
"Really?" He let out a scuff. "And what did my dear brother share with you?" He rolled his eyes as he imagined the ludicrous words that were to come out of Dan's mouth.
"He mentioned that Chloe could possibly be a gift to you from your father." That answer didn't go over so well. Dan's face dropped as Lucifer's face turned serious. There was red behind his eyes. "I uh… I…"
"The Detective…" Lucifer barked, but quickly cooled his anger. "Chloe is not some consolation prize to be —"
"No, of course not," Dan cut him off. "That's not how I see her presence."
"And how do you see it?"
Dan swallowed the last drop of spit he had left in his mouth. Lucifer, although he was cooling his temper, Dan could feel the waves of anger radiating off of him. One crude sentence about Chloe could tip the scales to send Lucifer off the edge. Normally he would find it odd, but he could see how hurt the man was by the whole situation. This wasn't just about Chloe. It was about Lucifer's feelings.
Dan fixed his placement on the couch before answering. When he was ready, he looked up at Lucifer.
"As ridiculous as it sounds and after all these years of watching the two of you bicker with one another… I honestly feel your father made you a soulmate." The words slipped out of his lips faster than he was able to process it. Michael and him had not discussed this, but he felt he should be honest with Lucifer.
"Don't be ridiculous, Daniel. My father doesn't give out life-long partners. He could barely keep my mother satisfied… In fact…" Lucifer peeled himself off the back of the couch and scooted over to the edge. All discussion of soulmates, tossed out the window. His index finger pointed over at Dan with conviction. "Charlotte Richards, aka my mother!"
"Yeah… Not going there. I've already been chewed out by your brother. I'm still trying to process that information. Please don't go there." He visibly shivered from the information.
With Dan drawing a line in the ground, Lucifer withdrew his finger. His side quest to change the topic of conversation deflected.
"She was put on this Earth at the exact time you started resurfacing, no?" Dan asked.
"So?"
"Well… Maybe Chloe was made for you."
"That's even worse, Daniel. Some sick cruel joke my father —"
"Why does it have to be cruel? What if he knew you'd benefit from having someone around that understands you?"
Lucifer thought about it.
"I mean I'm not saying your father was right in making Chloe strictly for you, but she's lived without you for a good chunk of her life. She's married me," Lucifer made a face. "She has a beautiful daughter. It's not like he made her and placed her in front of you like she was the new Eve. You know like Eve was made for Adam…"
"Yes, I know who Eve is, Daniel. She was my girlfriend."
"Right… So you know she didn't have a choice in who she loved. I remember Eve… We talked once. I didn't know she was the Eveat the time, but I understood her sadness. This is not the same as Chloe. So before you go saying her feelings aren't real, they are."
Dan looked at Lucifer, watching the information sink into his brain. He couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he was sure Lucifer was just trying to process the information. There was a hollow stare as Lucifer focused on the floor in front of him. Dan stood up in his seat and walked over to his friend. He had himself a seat, placing his hand hesitantly on Lucifer's shoulders.
"It's a lot to take in," he explained. "A lot. She's not going to come around so soon, but eventually she'll walk through your elevator doors with a bunch of questions. We both know she needs to process information correctly before she takes it all in." He took his hands off Lucifer's shoulder. As the hand was lifted, Lucifer peaked his eyes off the floor.
"I suppose you're right…" The words hurt leaving his lips.
Dan let out a chuckle as he was given two bouts of reassurance in one day by Lucifer.
"Does it really hurt you to give a compliment?"
"When it's you, Daniel? Yes." Lucifer flashed him a smile to know he was only playing around.
Dan responded by swinging his shoulder against Lucifer. He appreciated the moments they shared when they weren't at each other's throats. Before Michael was his friend, it had been Lucifer. As strange as their friendship was, Dan had always prided himself on finding friends in the weirdest scenarios.
"Maybe you and Chloe were always meant to cross paths. Maybe you were never meant to stay in Hell forever. Either way the two of you have clicked in a way not many get to experience. I gotta admit, the two of you are perfect for one another." Dan caught the look on Lucifer's face and shook his head as the Devil tried to deny his words. "No, don't go there. I've been with Chloe, dude. You forget that, but I was once madly in love with her."
"Yes… Which I find hard to believe that you and the Detective were once an item."
"I'll let that comment side. But you have to understand… You have to understand that she never looked at me the way she looks at you." Lucifer looked up, holding onto Dan's words. "She looks at you like you are the moon and stars." Which was a fitting expression seeing as he created the great balls of gas that illuminate the sky. "Like you physically can't do anything wrong. I've never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at you… I take that back. She looks at Trixie like that, but it's different. There's a star in her eye when she looks at you. You can't tell me that's not a soulmate."
The two stared at one another as Dan tried to get the words across Lucifer.
"Don't hold last night as a sign not to pursue things with Chloe. She's in shock. Anyone would be in shock after a conversation like that."
"You didn't see how she flinched from my contact… She…" Lucifer closed his eyes. He lifted his hand physically remembering how she pulled away from him. He shook his head at the memory. "I think it's best if I…" He stopped himself from finishing his sentence, because deep down he didn't want to abandon the Detective. He understood it wasn't the right thing to do. Dan had told him so. Instead, he worded his words differently. "I'll allow the Detective some time to process the information without my presence. The week I'm in Hell should be enough to cool the flames between us." He picked himself up off the chair and made his way across the living room. Dan picked himself up as well and began following Lucifer.
"Oh…" Yet another mature response. Twice in one day? How is this guy? Are you even Lucifer Morningstar?
"What did you expect me to do, isolate myself in Hell?" Lucifer let out a laugh. "Dad, no! I didn't spend all that precious time training Lilith for no reason. I'm simply going back to finish things off. If the Detective still hasn't come around to the knowledge then I'll divert all my attention into helping my brother deal with his demons. Possibly help him come to terms with his loss." He rushed up the stairs to his bedroom, leaving Dan in the entryway.
That seemed to bring him back to reality. He shook his head. "You don't think the children are alive?" There was a sadness in his voice.
"I've never seen the children. All traces of a child living in that pocket dimension was drenched in blood when I saved Michael. Mad experiments gone wrong. Limbs everywhere. There was no sign of a living child ever existing in that cave. Whatever evidence my brother has found will simply lead to a dead end. As it always has. But this time, I will actually help him with the grieving process. He's been on this search for too long."
"You can't know for sure. Just because there was no sign of a child doesn't mean someone didn't hide them. Michael says he can feel one of them. Like they are calling out to them. Surely that's something to go off of?"
Lucifer turned away from Dan. He pushed his way into his closet, opting to start getting ready for the day. The robe flew out of the room landing on the foot of the bed beside Dan.
"I had faithful demons scour the Earth looking for any signs of celestial children. All came back empty handed. If someone was hiding those children, I would have found them by now. No one stays hidden from me or Mazikeen for long. Whatever my brother has will only lead to more grief."
"But Mazikeen did find a lead," Dan called out. "Ella found one as well. The mother… Ella found a trace of her from like twelve years ago. She was alive five years after her kidnapping. She popped back up and was treated at a hospital in New York." He watched as Lucifer walked out of the closet with his dress shirt around his shoulders.
"I beg your pardon. What did you just say?"
"There is actual evidence now. Michael has more leads than you think. Mazikeen is out looking for this demon? I can't remember his name. God… God-ium?"
"Gaudium. His name is Gaudium. And he's not a demon, he's a cherub. What about the little booger? What has Mazikeen found?" He stalked over to Dan wanting answers.
"I… I don't know!" Dan lifted his hands up in the air as Lucifer wrapped his hand around the collar of Dan's shirt. "Seriously, man. I literally just found out about all of this like seven hours ago. All the pieces are finally being pieced together. I don't know all the information just yet. Michael is a little touchy with the information. He thinks your father is listening."
"My father is always listening." Lucifer huffed. He let go of Dan and walked back over to the closet. "You know I wouldn't be surprised if it's my father who is hiding the children," He called out. "Was always a ruthless bastard."
"Why would he do that? If he was a suspect… Surely he wouldn't, Charlie is on Earth. He's living with Amenadiel. Isn't it the same thing?"
"Mmm no," Lucifer replied. "Sandalphon was always a monster. Always wanted more from his exile. He was creating something when he had Michael in his clutches. Whatever those children are, whether alive or not, they are new. Nothing like Charlie."
"Super angels?"
Lucifer let out a chuckle. "Maybe."
Silence followed as Lucifer finished getting dressed. Dan took up a seat on the piano bench. Sitting in his thoughts, mulling over the conversation he just had with Lucifer. He couldn't imagine what Michael was going through. To be away from Trixie for a long period of time was hard enough. There was sympathy pouring out of him as he thought about the brother's drama.
"Ready to go, Daniel?"
"Huh?" He brought his head up, looking at the entry way over Lucifer's bedroom.
And there he was. The prim and pristine man that he had grown to befriend. The perfect representation of what money and good looks could get you. The real Lucifer Morningstar. No more was the love sick shell of a man who he had just encountered less than a half-hour ago. He had to applaud Lucifer. He wasn't sure he could go from rock bottom to peak self-confidence in under an hour.
"Are you ready to go? I figured we could head down to the precinct together and grab my brother. Something tells me he's in need of my assistance."
"Oh! I uh… I don't know. I kinda told the Lieutenant that I was -"
"Good. My car or yours?" Lucifer tapped the pockets of his jacket and frowned. Right… I tossed those over the balcony as well. "Change of plans. We're taking your car." He tapped Dan on the shoulder, directing him to the elevator.
"I really didn't drive all this way just to go back to the precinct. It's my day off…"
"Nonsense! You practically live at the station." Lucifer peddled them into the elevator, clicking the button to the ground floor.
"Lucifer I didn't -"
"What?" He stared at Dan.
The man let out a sigh. He knew he had gotten himself into this mess. It was his own fault. You just had to be the better man, didn't you? Instead of answering Lucifer, Dan simply shook his head.
"Nothing."
"Good!" Lucifer flashed him a smile.
The two stepped into the elevator shoulder to shoulder. Lucifer did the honors of pressing the bottom to direct the cart down to the ground floor. Dan just stood to his right, shaking his head as he once again let his better nature get the best of him.
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Chloe
Chloe stood outside the victim's house with her phone pressed against her ear. She had called Lucifer three times already and still no answer. After her fourth attempt she chose to leave a voicemail.
This is Lucifer Morningstar. Terribly sorry to have missed your call. I'm either ignoring you or assisting the Detective with police work.
Chloe smiled as she listened to his newly changed opening voicemail receiver. In the past, it had mentioned that he was sleeping with someone and couldn't be bothered to answer his phone. It was nice to see that he had changed it to suit his new lifestyle.
Feel free to leave a message, but fair warning I may never listen to these little rants. Either way do as you please, I've never been one to deny one's pursuit.
"Did that sound good?" She heard Lucifer's voice ask someone in the background.
"Yeah! But maybe next time don't mention that you won't listen to the voicemail. People tend to frown upon that. They call so they can talk to you not —" Beep.
Trixie's voice was cut off by the beep of the voicemail signaled her approval to leave a message. Chloe quickly shook her head and pulled her concentration to focus on what she wanted to talk to Lucifer about.
"Hey, Lucifer… I uh… I just wanted to give you a call. Check in on you. I…" A laugh escaped her lips. "I uh… I noticed the thousands of voicemails you left me. I know last night was…" She let out a sigh. "I'd rather apologize in person than over the phone, so could you answer your phone?" She looked around the area and found her car by itself. She bit her lip. "How about I stop by the penthouse and we can talk?" She rolled her eyes as she remembered she was leaving a voicemail. "I'm coming over. You better not have left for Hell already… I'll… I'll see you soon. "
She hung up the phone and made her way over to Ella. The woman was finishing up her discussion with the other forensic scouts. So when Chloe cleared her throat, Ella dismissed her workers.
"Hey… Sorry I didn't mean for you to…" She motioned to the other forensic workers that had just walked away.
"Nah, you're good. I was just wrapping up things with them. What's up?"
"I just wanted to inform you that I've been thinking about what you just said. I understand I was a little harsh towards Lucifer. I didn't think about how hard it must have been for him to tell me what he did. You said he was nervous and or scared and I didn't take that into account. I… I gotta talk to him before he leaves. I can't let him leave knowing I played into his fears." Ella smiled up at Chloe. She was glad to hear that their short conversation had broken through Chloe's thick walls. "I wanted to tell you that I'm heading out."
"Yes! I mean, yeah…" She tried to school her excitement. If there was one person on this Earth that cared about their relationship more than them, it was Ella. Their number one cheerleader. "Do what you gotta do, Chicka. Go stop your man from running off."
"Before I go, are you sure you got everything covered here?"
"Oh yeah!" She waved her hand about, dismissing the concern. "I mean there's not much else we can do at the moment. You're perfectly fine to head out."
"Thank you! I promise I won't be gone long. I'm just going to stop by Lucifer's and maybe patch things up during my lunch break. I know Lieutenant Herrera wanted me in today. I won't be gone long I promise."
"You don't have to tell me twice. Go… Go!" Ella shushed Chloe away, signaling her to run to Lucifer. As she watched her friend take off towards her car, Ella squealed with delight as knew Lucifer and Chloe would finally resolve their problems.
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Lux
As the doors to the elevator opened to the club, Lucifer turned to Dan and allowed him the opportunity to exit first. That surprised Dan. He slipped out of the elevator without much fuss. It was noon, so the club was closed. The only ones inside were the employees stalking up the alcohol for the night. As Lucifer exited the cart, he made his way over to the bar. He held a brief conversation with Patrick before returning back to Dan.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah, but I uh…" He hears a pair of shoes step off to the side. He turns his head to find Chloe. Lucifer turns around. His face drops when he sees Chloe standing by the piano.
"Detective…"
"I called but… I'm assuming you ignored me for a reason."
"I actually don't have my phone on me," he replied. He tapped his breast pockets showing her that it was not in his possession.
"Oh…"
The two never broke eye contact.
"I'm going to head out... I'm going to pick Trixie up from Linda's," he told Chloe. The woman just nodded her head, never breaking eye contact from the man standing six feet from her. "I'm going to go and do that now." Dan began back peddling. As Chloe broke eye contact with Lucifer, he added. "I'll take her back to your place so we can grab a few clothes for the weekend. That's okay?"
"Sure… She might be a little grouchy. Just a heads up."
"Nothing I can't handle." Dan flexed his hands on the side of his body. Before he could leave he walked up to Chloe and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Yeah?"
"Yeah…" She rested her hand on his hand, granting it a squeeze.
Dan leaned over placing a kiss on the side of her head. As his lips left her head, Chloe stepped away from Dan and made her way over to Lucifer. Dan didn't bother to stick around. He was glad things were about to clear up between the two. It meant his job was done.
He reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys. He gave the two one last look before stepping out of the back door to drive over to Linda's house.
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A lot to digest in this chapter, sorry about that. 9k words! I think that's the new record for this series, or close to being one. I wanted to take the time an solidify a new bond between Lucifer and Dan, I think after everything, the two deserved to be on the same page. I wanted to reconnect that friendship. Also wanted to get advice from another person's pov. First with Lilith who was literally created for a man. Second, from Dan. Who loved Chloe and saw first hand the love Chloe felt for him... Hope it was worth the read. Sorry it was so long