Thank you to those who reviewed!
This chapter, and the next, follows 'Detective Amenadiel'. Most of the actual episode is summarized focusing mainly on what's different, mainly that Amenadiel doesn't really make an appearance….to all Amenadiel lovers – I do love the guy and he will make an appearance in the story but I kind of booted him for this one. Besides, I had a lot of fun with Michael in the meantime.
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Michael was bored. Father help him, he was bored. How did Lucifer survive down here? Not to mention Amenadiel. What kept their attention on these humans?
Humans were so easy to read. Many of their fears weren't even worth him bothering with. Spiders? Seriously? It was a bug. Just step on it and keep moving. Come on now.
Michael had gotten cabin fever being at the villa. It was spacious but unlike being in the Silver City he had nothing to do. At least up there he had his duties to attend to and his siblings to mess with. He had thought about picking on Amenadiel but his older brother had seriously gotten boring over the years. His biggest fear currently was his son and Michael was not in the mood to work up enjoyment from that.
He had peeked in on Mazikeen. It was obvious the demon had taken his suggestion by her tense and angry form. Good; only a matter of time there.
It didn't fix his boredom in the meantime.
There was always Lucifer to heckle, but did he dare risk further angering his Father at this point in time? Michael had been left alone so far, no further punishment seemed forthcoming. This was punishment enough to Michael but who knew how Father wanted to do things. No, it was probably best to let Lucifer be for the time being.
He was not told; however, to leave a certain miracle unbothered. Michael found himself intrigued by the detective. Maybe a little visit was in order.
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Chloe was done. Just seriously done.
She had attempted to get in contact with Maze after she had let the demon take Trixie to Lucifer's for a believed game night. Chloe was curious how things had went but the demon was being allusive and not returning her calls. With nothing else to do, Chloe sat down with her daughter and asked her to tell her what Lucifer had told her. Trixie seemed hesitant at first but then she smiled (a smile Chloe was unsure she ever wanted to see on her child's face again) and began her story.
After words, Chloe was even more confused and worried than before. She really hoped her faith in Maze pulled through and the demon came to her or Linda before doing anything rash. The demons history with tough news was not helping her keep that faith but she would manage.
Then there was Lucifer. Chloe felt like she was going to lose her mind. Ever persistent, he sent text messages, phone calls, and even a freaking billboard. Lucifer certainly was not going to let her ignore him that was for sure. Not that she ever could but seriously, time and space. That was all she needed but it appeared she was not going to be getting that anytime soon.
After that, Amenadiel had showed up. Chloe had a brief moment of panic that Lucifer had returned to Hell and actually given up but Amenadiel was quick to assure her that was not the case and that Hell was fine without a Warden. Okay….Chloe firmly decided to place that on a back burner. There was only so much she could handle and this was certainly tipping the iceberg. To hopefully catch a break, Chloe had snatched up the first case brought to her. Here was to some actual normality. She was done with all things celestial or God-like for one day.
Or so she thought. Stepping up to the convent she felt irritation burn through her. Really? Very fucking hilarious. Chloe sent a quick glare upwards. She had a few choice words but thought better of voicing them. Probably best not to poke the proverbial dragon the way things were going for her lately.
Chloe took a deep breath, decided to just grab the bull by the horns, and go with it. She quickly met up with Ella who was busy cataloguing everything about their victim, Sister Victoria. Things just continued to go downhill from there. Not only had she let her frustrations interfere with the case she had completely alienated the nuns and ruined any chance of getting any information from them. Wonderful. Just peachy.
Chloe stepped away to make a phone call. Maybe she did need some assistance. She paused as the sound of snickering reached her ears.
"Having trouble with the nuns, Detective?"
Chloe took a deep, deep, breathe and closed her eyes feeling her body tense. She knew that voice. God must really be playing with her today. If she somehow, miraculously, did make it to Heaven she was going to…
Chloe turned around to face the smirking twin of the Devil. Michael watched her with amusement clear in his expression. He was leaned against one of the pillars looking like he owned the place with his hands clasped in front of him. He was now chuckling softly at her. Chloe was so not in the mood for this. She did take note that he had forgone the suits Lucifer wore for less form fitting pants with a dark turtle neck sweater and also of the raw and healing gash across his face. Guess she now knew what Lucifer meant when he said he had taken care of the 'Michael problem'.
"What are you doing here?" She ground out between clenched teeth as she moved closer to him. There was no need to have anyone hear this conversation.
Michael shrugged as though he could care less about her question but answered her anyway. "I was bored. Thought I would seek out entertainment and let me tell you, Chloe, you have certainly delivered."
Chloe wanted to punch the smug look clear off his damaged face. The only reason she didn't was she knew it would only hurt her more than him. Stupid angels and their invulnerability.
"So glad I amuse you, but I have a job to do and it certainly does not involve you."
Chloe refused to fall to his bait. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of making her day worse, even though he technically already had just by being there.
Michael watched as Chloe turned and stormed away from him. He felt irritation rise. How dare she just dismiss him like he was nothing? He was the Archangel Michael. No human was just going to dismiss him like that, even if said human was one of Father's miracles. Michael stormed after her and grabbed her arm turning her back to him.
"That wasn't very nice, Chloe."
Chloe ripped her arm away from him. She was not afraid, if anything she looked poised for battle. Michael took in the glare that was burning into him with fascination though he would not show it to her.
The detective stepped up to Michael. "I will not be pulled or pushed around by you, Michael. I have seriously had it up to here…" She raised her hand level with her forehead. "…with everything celestial, in-clud-ing-you." The last bit was punctuated with harsh jabs of her finger against his chest.
Chloe was so, so done. She had yet to sense the wrongness from Michael she knew she had felt before and it unnerved her. It angered her to the point of probably being foolish given she was poking Michael of all people. But the evil twin just looked down at her with something akin to more amusement peeking through his stern expression. God, she was probably being compared to an ant poking at a lion and expecting not to be stepped on.
Michael was unsure how to feel. No human had ever stood up to him like this; they had never been given the chance. Typically, he never bothered with humans or their souls, unless they were one of the few who simply refused to judge themselves. Tedious. Chloe; however, was full of anger and fire at the moment so it stood to reason that all sense had left her. Michael found himself intrigued once again by his twins miracle and, admittedly, amused.
Michael moved to speak but noticed her attention was no longer on him. Irritation rose again as he glared down at her but something caught his attention. Turning to look he noticed all the nuns had taken notice of him. They were slowly moving closer with adoration clear across their expressions.
He groaned. "You have got to be kidding me." He mumbled under his breath.
Chloe looked around nervously. "What is going on?" She looked back sternly at Michael. "I thought your powers dealt with fear?"
"They do." He admitted. "They are not affected." Annoyingly so. These souls, as long as they stuck to their vows, would enter Heaven immediately with no questions asked. They truly had nothing to fear from him. His aura would not work on them unless he directly pushed the issue.
Chloe felt a brief sense of wrongness shoot up her spine before it disappeared. Was he lying? No, it didn't feel like that, but something was definitely wrong with his statement. Chloe shook her head.
"What's wrong with them?"
Michael shook his head. "Nothing. It's complicated."
Another feeling of wrongness shot through her before being quickly doused was calm. Chloe looked closely at Michael noticing that he suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. But the nuns seemed quite happy for him to be there. Maybe…
"Maybe you could help me."
Michael looked at her as though she had lost her damn mind. Maybe she had. "You can't be serious." He drawled.
"They won't talk to me, but maybe they will to you." Chloe could not believe she was actually going to talk him into this but needs must. Lucifer was going to have kittens when he found out. "We already worked one case together. You, surprisingly, are very adept at asking the right questions."
Yes, he was, but only because he was judge and jury in the Silver City. Only very few souls got in without passing him first. Course there were others that helped when he was indisposed but that was neither here nor there.
Chloe took his arm and led him a little bit away from the collection of nuns. They only followed them to his complete discomfort. He really hated being fawned over like this.
"I really need to get any information from them that they may have. Our vic…"
"Yes, yes, I heard Ella." He waved her off trying to sound disinterested.
Chloe couldn't believe what she was seeing. "You were listening. You are curious yourself, aren't you?"
Michael turned his full attention back to Chloe and away from the nuns ever eyeing him. "I am not."
Wrong. "You're lying." Chloe smiled at him. She had no idea how she knew with such certainty, but he was. "You want to solve this case just as much as I do."
Michael gaped at her before catching himself and turning it into a glare. He opened his mouth to protest but Chloe beat him.
"Come on, Michael. Help me out."
Michael couldn't believe the nerve of the woman in front of him. Chloe looked at him with a knowing look that irritated him to no end. He gritted his teeth and thought seriously about just flying away and being done with it. Let her solve her own damn case, and yet he was curious. He would never admit it but solving that first case had been actually sort of fun and stimulating. He did want to know who did it. Damn it, but he did love a good mystery. Michael looked back over to the nuns – but was it really going to be worth it.
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It was not. It was not worth it. At all.
The nuns seemed star struck by him. Come on, Father, seriously? This was Lucifer's shtick not his. They payed absolutely no attention to Chloe and completely ignored her questions. The first one had even dared attempt to reach out to touch him.
"What happened? You poor thing."
Michael flinched back from her. Poor thing? Ha. "I'm perfectly fine, thanks." He grumbled. Could these interrogations not go any faster?
Chloe sighed in frustration as the most recent nun left the room. "This is getting us no-where."
Michael took that as his cue. "Well, seems I'm not much help after all." He moved to stand but a hand on his arm stopped him. Michael glared at it willing it to burst into flame. No such luck.
Chloe bit on her lip briefly in thought. "Maybe if I left?"
Was she really going to leave Michael in a room full of suspects to question by himself? She really was losing it but something told her that she could trust him; with this at least.
Michael turned his glare to her. "You're joking." She was going to leave him with these crazy nuns? Hell no!
Chloe looked at Michael in thought. The angel had been tense the entire time awkwardly avoiding making eye contact with any of the nuns; the nuns that stared at him like he was God himself. This didn't seem like typical Michael behavior but then she didn't really get a good feel for Michael acting like himself, did she? Michael could, of course, put on a good act. That was proven by his impersonation of Lucifer. He had everyone fooled, even her for a second or two. But this did not feel like an act. She was calm, a bit frustrated at the lack of information, but calm. There was none of the weird wrong feelings from before. Chloe was so confused but she needed to focus on this case first.
"Surprisingly, no, I need to know what they know to get anywhere on this case. They are infatuated with you…" She caught Michael's just barely there flinch. "…For reasons unknown to me. They might tell you something that they won't with me being in the room."
Michael stared back at Chloe. There was something in her eyes that made him pause. She did not need him to do this for her. Chloe could just as easily call Amenadiel or Lucifer to do this and get similar results. No, she wanted him to do this. The reason why was currently lost to him but it made him feel strange. Sure, he was usually needed for something by his Father or his siblings but he had never been wanted. It was a novel concept.
"Fine." He sat back down and just barely resisted the urge to huff.
Chloe felt weirdly relieved that he had decided to stay. She had already brushed off Lucifer and Amenadiel today and knew it would be awkward to suddenly call either one of them for help. The more she observed Michael though, the more curious she became. Obviously, he was not a fan of attention if his reaction to the nuns were any indication. Where Lucifer would have been blooming and flourishing under their adoring stares, Michael wilted and seemed to shrink away from them. It made Chloe wonder if there was more to Michael than the show he put on.
Chloe waited patiently just outside the door. She had made Michael promise not to scare them. He had rolled his eyes but had given her his word. She had the crazy feeling that he bound himself to his word just as Lucifer did, as long as you gave him no loop holes. It made no sense. She experienced firsthand that Michael was not to be trusted and yet here she was – trusting him. Why? Because she didn't get any strange feelings from him? How did that make sense? Did it have something to do with her being a miracle? The way Michael had talked though, she was made for Lucifer.
It did not take him long to get the secret the nuns had been hiding. He had looked startled when she had thanked him for his help but he just as quickly perked up looking proud of himself. Michael looked to her like a kid who never got thanked or congratulated enough. Maybe he was.
"Seriously, though, what was up with all that?" Chloe waved her hand vaguely.
Michael knew what she was referring to. He sighed. "Like I said, it's complicated." Chloe did not look convinced.
Michael had followed her to her car. He watched as the deputies drove off with Mother Angelica. "Do I get to finish this one with you?"
Chloe paused. "Probably not the best idea."
"So, you get me hooked then let me go?" Michael asked irritated. He knew she was going to hide this from Lucifer; unless of course Lucifer asked.
"Look, Michael…"
"Forget it, Chloe. I didn't really care in the first place. Was simply curious how far you would let me go."
Chloe startled a bit when with a large gust of wind he was gone. Flown off. That sense of wrongness was back and it settled deep in her bones. He had just lied to her; again.
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Michael could barely keep himself from laughing. Chloe believing Amenadiel was her dad, then 'laser beam hands'? Oh dear Father, not even he could make this up.
He watched the entire awkward conversation from the observation room. It hadn't taken much to get in there. He was after all a master of blending into the background. No one had even known he was anywhere near the precinct.
The little 'gift' info had indeed put a rift between Chloe and his twin just as he thought it would. It bothered him that he did not feel the glee he expected he would. It wasn't that Lucifer was upset and clearly depressed. His brother deserved everything he was feeling for all Michael cared but he could hear the tears in Chloe's voice. Oh, she was certainly trying to be strong but was cracking around the edges. Her tears bothered him. It bothered him that he was bothered. Michael decided it was high time he made himself busy. Tracking down one Destiny Page would provide distraction.
She wasn't too terribly hard to find. Michael found her in her dressing room. He could sense a fear but it was one he was not interested in. Destiny jumped as she noticed him in the room with her. He smiled charmingly.
"Hello."
She said nothing but watched him wearily as she stood. Her eyes roamed over his face no doubt taking in the wound across his face and thinking him deranged. Michael moved closer slowly. Destiny to her credit did not back away from him. Thankfully, she was not of the faith as her recent music portrayed her to be.
"Mind if we talk?"
Destiny smiled at him before yelling.
"Hank!"
Michael turned in time to catch the fist that came hurling toward his face.
"Who are you? What are you doing in here?"
"Wait!" Chloe ran to try to get between them attempting to push the human away from him. "Wait, he's with me."
"What's he doing in here then?"
Okay, Michael was done with the human's poor attempt at manhandling him. He gripped the Hank's wrist, hard, and pulled it away from him. With a smirk at the Hanks's confused and slightly scared face, he pushed him back a few steps.
Chloe stepped closer to Michael looking at him as though she could run him through. "What are you doing in here?" she hissed under her breath.
"Trying to help catch a murderer." Michael gave her a look that plainly said 'what else' as though this was an everyday occurrence.
"Wait, someone was murdered?" Destiny asked.
Chloe had to admit she was surprised that Michael stood silently while she took the lead with questions. Well, mostly.
"Was Sister Victoria's change of heart the reason for your change of faith?"
"Hardly." Michael scoffed.
Chloe glared at him to get him to shut up but Destiny admitted to being one month sober and gave her alibi.
Michael had once again scoffed. "A goat ate your alibi?"
Chloe pulled out her phone to make a call signaling to the two that they were done. She pulled Michael down the hall with her while she talked to Dan.
The detective appeared more agitated than she was back at the precinct. This was an emotion Michael was better equipped to handle than tears thankfully. He followed her outside. Michael felt proud of himself for tracking down a suspect all on his own even if Dan and Lucifer had technically been the ones to find the lead.
Chloe turned sharply to face Michael at the last minute. He stumbled a bit to keep from running into her.
"Really, Chloe, warn a person."
"What are you doing?"
Oh, she sounded angry. Michael tilted his head bit looking at her confused. Hadn't that been obvious? Did she not hear him earlier? Humans. Were they all so slow?
"I told you. Help…"
"Helping find a murderer. Yeah, I heard what you said." Chloe crossed her arms. "It's what is in between the lines that I am looking for, Michael."
"Is it really so hard to believe that I genuinely do want to help?"
Chloe stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes, Michael, why?" Chloe repeated exasperated. She waved a hand at him. "Why do you even care about a silly little case? Don't you have bigger things to worry about?"
Of course Michael had bigger things to worry about but it wasn't like he could get into the Silver City to handle them at the moment. Father had seen to that after closing the gates. Oh, souls and his siblings could still get in, he had checked, but the gates remained stubbornly shut to him. Instead, he was stuck down here with Father's precious little humans and completely bored out of his mind waiting for his plan to take shape. If this was what he was going to have to deal with then Mazikeen had better hurry herself along.
"I am bored, Chloe. That simple."
"Bored?" Chloe questioned him looking like she was about to laugh in his face.
Michael gritted his teeth to keep from yelling in frustration. "Yes, bored. Contrary to the popular belief of you humans angels do in fact get bored from time to time."
Chloe could not have held back the smile on her face if she had tried. Michael reminded her so much of Lucifer right now, oh God, he had the same look of utter exasperation and the tone of being done with it all was the same even if it was in a more American accent versus Lucifer's British one. She brought a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing as the archangel continued to look at her as though she was crazy. Michael even had the same twist of the head and expression when confused. They really were twins. Chloe dared not say any of this out loud as she knew for sure Michael would smite her where she stood - rules be damned. She couldn't help but wonder if they were aware they shared similar mannerisms.
Michael heaved a frustrated sigh. "I'm glad you find my boredom so amusing." He drawled out sarcastically.
Chloe shook her head and apologized smile still planted firmly on her face. She sensed no wrongness from Michael, a sign she was beginning to take that he was telling her the truth. Proving her theory would be difficult but she knew she needed to find a way to test it if she was to get Lucifer to believe it. Chloe had no idea what it meant but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth just yet.
"Get in the car."
Michael looked at her surprised a moment before he smiled softly and hurried to get in. Dan had said he was taking Lucifer with him so she could let Michael tag along for a few hours.
