Chloe paced Lucifer's penthouse. Lucifer had gone to get Beatrice from school, and when they got back, she and Lucifer were going to tell Beatrice the truth. Chloe and Lucifer had both decided that they needed to tell Beatrice before they went public and had Malcolm arrested to make sure she didn't find out some other way.
Chloe was nervous. She knew Beatrice loved her. The little girl had even said once that she wished Chloe was her mommy, but it was different than it actually happening. What if Beatrice rejected her, or what if she blamed her for losing her. Chloe often blamed herself, wondering how different things would have been if she'd stayed home that day.
Chloe didn't have much time to contemplate it because seconds later, the elevator could be heard be heard. She turned just in time to see Lucifer and Beatrice come off the elevator.
Beatrice immediately grinned and ran to Chloe. "Hi, Chloe. I'm glad you're here. I got an 'A' on my science test. Wanna see?"
"That's great! I definitely want to see, but maybe you can show me a little later," Chloe said.
"Yes, hop on the couch, Urchin. We have something to talk about," Lucifer said.
Beatrice immediately went to the couch. She put her backpack on the floor and sat down on the couch. "Is it good or bad."
"Good, I believe, but you can decide for yourself," Lucifer said as he removed his suit coat and draped it over a chair. He then went and sat down next to his daughter.
Chloe went and sat on the other side of Beatrice. "So, sweetie, you know what it means to be adopted. You know that's what your daddy did for you."
"Uh huh. It's what happens when your other mommy and daddy can't take care of you or when they're mean to you, like my first mommy and daddy were," Beatrice said.
"That's right, except with you it's a little more complicated," Chloe said.
"Those people that I took you from were not your real mother and father," Lucifer said.
Beatrice frowned a little, not understanding what they meant. "I don't get it."
"I know it's hard to understand, honey. Sometimes people who can't have kids of their own do bad things. They take kids from families that love them," Chloe explained.
"Is that what my other mommy and daddy did?" Beatrice asked.
"Yes, child, it is. Your mother, whom they took you from, loves you very much," Lucifer told her.
Beatrice's eyes widened as she realized what she was being told, and she immediately retreated into her father's arms. "Is she going to take me away? I don't want to go! Daddy, you promised I could stay forever!"
"No, sweetheart. No one's taking you away from your daddy," Chloe assured her.
"Absolutely not. Beatrice, look at me," Lucifer instructed.
Beatrice reluctantly pulled her head from her father's shoulder to look at him, but she stayed curled up in his arms.
"I did promise you that, and I never go back on my word. No one will take you away from me," Lucifer assured her. If on the off-chance Detective Douche found an insane judge willing to grant him custody, he would take Beatrice and the detective and disappear. He would never allow Beatrice to be raised by that man.
Beatrice nodded and hugged her father again.
Chloe watched the scene for a few minutes. She was now a hundred percent certain that she'd made the right decision, not that she had much doubt before. She couldn't separate Beatrice from Lucifer. It would break both of them. Lucifer might not be he blood, but he was Beatrice's father. "Beatrice, I promise too. We're not going to let anyone take you away, but we do have more to talk about. Can you look at me?
Beatrice turned to look at Chloe, but she was still leaned into her father's arms.
"Do you remember me telling you how I had a little girl that was lost?" Chloe asked.
Beatrice nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"My little girl was taken from me by a really bad person, and he gave her to other bad people who decided they wanted her," Chloe told her.
"Like bad people took me?" Beatrice said.
"The exact same people who took you. Beatrice, Chloe is your mother," Lucifer said.
Beatrice gaped a little in shock. "Chloe's really my mommy?"
"That's right, honey, but I want you to know that I'd never try to take you away from your daddy. I know how much you love him. This just means that I'd like to spend some more time with you if you're okay with it. Maybe when you're more comfortable with it, you can spend a couple of days with me at my house, but that's up to you," Chloe said. She wouldn't do anything that her daughter wasn't comfortable with. She knew that all this was a lot for an eight-year-old.
"Does this mean that man from your work was my daddy?" Beatrice asked. She remembered that man saying that Chloe's little girl was his too.
"Yes, it does, but I don't want you to worry about him," Chloe said.
"He's mean. I don't to live with him," Beatrice said.
"I will never allow that to happen, Beatrice," Lucifer said fiercely.
"But you might have to see him once and a while," Chloe said. She didn't want to upset her daughter, but she also didn't want to lie. Like it or not, Dan was Beatrice's biological father. While Chloe didn't think he could ever get custody, he might get visitation.
"I don't want to. He's really mean," Beatrice said.
"Baby, I promise, he will never be mean to you again. I won't let him. And you don't have to see him right now if you don't want to," Chloe said.
"What if he hits, like the bad man I thought was my daddy?" Beatrice asked.
"I will never allow anyone to strike you. You have my word on that, child. I will never allow anyone to hurt you," Lucifer said fiercely.
"Neither will I. I don't think Dan would ever hurt you like that, but Daddy and I will make sure you're always safe. We're going to do our best to make sure that if you do have to see Dan sometimes, it will be with one of us in the room," Chloe said.
"I don't want to at all, but I guess that would be better," Beatrice said.
"You don't have to worry about it right now. Right now, you do not have to see him," she said.
"Can I call you Mommy? I've always wished you were my mommy," Beatrice said. She was still kind of scared about that mean man being her daddy once, but she liked that Chloe was her mommy. She already loved her like a mommy.
Chloe nodded as tears of job started to stream. She never thought her daughter would want to call her that this quick. "I'd really like that.
Beatrice pulled out of her daddy's arms and hugged her new mommy. "I like it too, Mommy.
Chloe held her daughter tightly. Her heart finally felt complete for the first time in six years. Not only did she have her daughter back, but her daughter accepted her completely. She couldn't' be happier.
