Thank you to all those who reviewed and followed!
This is the second half of 'Detective Amenadiel'. Putting Michael through his paces but hey, the guy does deserve a little bit of suffering for his actions.
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Chloe returned to her desk packs of chips in her hands. Michael sat in the chair beside her desk looking over some of the case files intently. She tossed one of the bags onto the file and received an accusatory look in return.
"Really?"
Chloe shrugged as she sat at her desk. "You eat, right?"
Chloe received no answer. She kept her attention on the files in front of her taking chips occasionally from her own bag. Eventually, she heard the bag crinkle open and smiled softly to herself. How was it that she felt comfortable? This was Michael; liar and manipulator extraordinaire. Yet here she was looking over case files with him perfectly at ease. She still kept glancing at him, to check he wasn't doing anything he shouldn't be, but she still felt calm. Michael simply sat there in the chair Lucifer typically occupied with the files balanced on his lap and bag of chips in one hand. In some ways the twins were very similar and yet so different in others.
Michael closed and placed the file on the corner of the desk leaning back to finish off the bag in his hand. He had not realized how hungry he was until he opened the bag. As an angel he typically did not eat while in the Silver City; there was no need to after all. Being here on Earth though was different. Michael could ignore his hunger but now that he succumbed and ate he knew it would only get harder to do.
He glanced over at Chloe and watched her intently. She was so focused on the files that he was certain she had no idea he was observing her. Michael had to admit he was slowly beginning to see just what his twin found so fascinating. It was disconcerting how she was making him feel in such a short time. Now that he was able to focus on her, and not maintaining his Lucifer persona, he saw many things he had not before.
"You are not going to stop, are you?"
Chloe looked over her shoulder at him. "That surprises you?"
Michael shrugged a shoulder resting more fully into the chair. He leaned naturally to his left side. "Not really." He admitted.
"What about you? You seem pretty invested yourself." Chloe turned back to the files but still kept one ear for his response.
"Mere curiosity and the drive to figure out the mystery. I can assure you, Chloe, it is not because I care."
Chloe hummed in response. She didn't need the lack of wrongness to know he was telling the truth.
They sat in silence a few moments. Chloe continued to look over the files while Michael simply observed. He seemed content to sit where he was despite being surrounded by humans. Maybe it was because their attention was not directly on him? Chloe couldn't help but wonder. She also wondered how much he actually knew.
"So, Michael, about the whole gift thing…"
He sighed behind her. "I only know what I told you." He was silent a moment. Chloe listened to him shift a bit in the chair. "Still bothering you, is it?"
Chloe turned fully around to face him. She glared at his soft smirk. "You know it is. You wouldn't have told me otherwise."
Michael did not shift nor move, he simply stared at her. He blinked once. "No one will have the answers you seek except for Father himself. Good luck getting answers there. Even I have been cut off recently."
"So I have heard." Chloe said dryly turning back around. She wondered what he meant by that last statement. If her hunch about her feelings was correct it was a truth, but what did it mean? His voice had gone deeper so it angered him to be cut off. Had it messed with some scheme of his? Michael had said recently. Did that mean he had been in contact with his Father up until now?
"I know who the killer is!"
Lucifer's voice rang through the precinct. Chloe felt panic run through her as she looked up eyes wide. Shit. Damn. Dan couldn't have called? She stole a brief glance over to Michael to find his own eyes looked uncertain.
"We know who the killer is." Dan's voice called out in a correcting tone.
Michael had enough time to duck his head and turn the chair before Lucifer turned the corner with Dan close on his heels. He had yet to fully heal from their last encounter.
Chloe stood just as they stopped at her desk. She needed to keep Lucifer's attention on her.
"We." Lucifer corrected then jumped into a spill of what they found.
Dan jumped in occasionally the two taking turns talking excitedly. It was surreal what was happening in front of her. When had these two started getting all buddy buddy? Bracelet bros? Chloe felt like she was in the twilight zone. She noticed Michael watching with a clear 'what the actual fuck?' look.
Chloe tried to stay professional, she really did, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she just barely caught the laugh under a cough. It was all too much. She sat down with her face buried in her hands. She was going crazy, she just knew it.
"Detecti…What the hell are you doing here?"
Oh shit. Chloe snapped her head up at Lucifer's growl. She could swear she saw a glimpse of hellfire in those brown eyes as he glared at Michael. Michael, to his credit, remained calm and collected as he turned the chair back around having been caught out. Was it just Chloe or did his own brown eyes seem…hesitant? Chloe herself felt like she was going to have a heart attack.
"Hello, brother." Michael said with a mocking smile.
Damn you, Michael, don't antagonize him! Chloe wanted to scream.
Lucifer looked ready to rip Michael from the chair any minute. Chloe really did not want to think about the scene that was about to take place.
"Holy shit! You're a twin?" Dan thumped Lucifer on the shoulder.
Chloe didn't know whether she wanted to scream or cry. Lucifer blinked a few times looking back over his shoulder at Dan.
"Obviously, Daniel, do keep up." Irritation was clear in his voice.
Michael waved cheekily. "Hello again, Daniel."
"Hello again…" Dan trailed off in obvious confusion. "Shit, what happened to your face?"
Michael lost the cheeky grin. "Lucifer happened."
Dan smacked Lucifer's shoulder again. Chloe heard the growl that Lucifer held under his breath. The Devil was holding it together but just barely.
"What the hell, man?" Dan asked scandalized. "Seriously?"
Lucifer threw his hands up. "Well no one can confuse us anymore, can they?"
"Confuse you…"
Chloe felt like she saw a literal light bulb turn on.
"Wait a minute." Dan continued as though completely oblivious to the tension surrounding them. "That first week you were back was…" Dan motioned toward Michael who was once again grinning and thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. Chloe wanted to throttle him.
"Michael, yes, yes, can we get back to pummeling his face in to find out why he is still here?" Lucifer growled it his eyes flashing again.
Chloe wanted to crawl into a hole. People were beginning to take notice of all the commotion.
"Michael? As in actual Michael? The Saint Michael?"
Lucifer spluttered. "Saint?" He laughed harshly.
Michael rolled his eyes. "I'm hardly a saint." He grumbled. "What will you humans come up with next?"
Michael was referred to as a Saint? Boy, did Chloe need to do some serious catching up. She shook her head.
"Man, I knew you were being too nice." Apparently, Dan was getting better at accepting and moving on. "You guys are twins?" Okay, maybe not so much.
Apparently, Dan and Ella had both discovered Lucifer's truth while she had been away in Rome. Ella being concerned for her friend, and after not seeing or hearing from him in days, had recruited Dan to check up on the hurt and damaged Devil. With the help of Linda, they had convinced Lucifer to let them help him remove multiple bullets that had still been lodged in his wings. Chloe had been shocked and felt immense guilt when she had found out about it.
Michael broke her out of her thoughts with a laugh. "Too nice? Well, brother, that is certainly a first."
Lucifer growled, this time loud enough Dan heard it and jumped. Lucifer took a step as Michael stood to intercept the attack that was clearly coming.
"Excuse me?"
All eyes turned to look at the poor nun who looked ready to abort her mission. Chloe gave her the softest smile she could muster hoping to put her at ease.
"Yes?"
"Um, is there somewhere we can talk? Privately?"
"Oh, yes, of course." Chloe would jump on any chance to get away from all the angelic testosterone floating in the air.
"Oh, I meant, with him." Sister Francine nodded slightly in Michael's direction.
All eyes turned to Michael. Michael looked back at Chloe just as surprised.
"Okay. Sure." Chloe nodded toward Michael.
Michael stared at her. Discomfort was clear in his expression. Chloe couldn't help that the nuns were so taken with him. She gave him a significant look. "You can use the interrogation room."
Michael took a barely noticeably breath, then nodded. He turned to Sister Francine with a smile. It was charming even as it was forced. "Of course. This way."
Chloe, Lucifer, and Dan watched the two until the door closed behind them. Lucifer whipped around slamming his hands onto her desk.
"What the actual hell, Detective?"
Chloe refused to back down even in the face of the Devils anger. "He has been helping."
"Helping?! Detective, Michael doesn't help. He is a liar and a manipulator."
"I am aware of that, Lucifer. I've experienced it firsthand, remember?" Chloe moved around her desk toward the observation room. "But he has been helpful, regardless of the fact he was uninvited, and he has been mostly truthful…"
Lucifer followed her clearly still angered. "He wants you to think he is being truthful, Detective. He takes lies and twists them into sounding like the truth. It's how he lures you in, then 'Bam' you are caught in his little scheme with no way out."
Chloe grabbed Dan when she noticed him trying to sneak away. He was not leaving her alone with this. She pushed him on through into the observation room before turning to Lucifer.
"I know you don't trust him and have every reason not to." Chloe sighed. "I'm not saying I trust him, Lucifer, far from it." Chloe moved forward and cupped his face in her hands. His eyes softened slightly. "I will explain some things after we finish this case, in the meantime, I'm asking you to trust me. Can you do that?"
Chloe watched the battle happen in his eyes. She knew he trusted her, and also knew that he would do anything to protect her and keep her out of harms' way, but she needed to see this through. She needed to figure these feelings out and she needed his trust and help to do so.
Eventually, a small dissatisfied sigh left him. Lucifer reached up to take her hands in his lowering them from his face. An almost hesitant flicker of a smile made itself known. "Okay, Detective." Lucifer's eyes turned cold again. "If he steps one toe out of line…"
"Then you can rip his wings off and feed them to him." Chloe smiled at the delighted look on her Devil's face.
"Oh, Detective, I like the sound of that." He practically purred.
"Only if he steps out of line, okay?" She was quick to add. If she was going to get things figured out then she needed Michael in one piece long enough to do so.
Lucifer rolled his eyes but gave his word. "Strip me of my fun." He grumbled as they entered the observation room. Chloe chuckled. She had honestly missed him despite needing her space to sort things out.
Chloe had expected to simply watch as Michael got information from Sister Francine. She had not expected what happened only seconds after shutting the door.
Sister Francine grabbed Michael's face, still careful of the still healing gash, and had pressed her lips to his.
"Oh my God." She couldn't have stopped the phrase if she had wanted.
"Really Detective…" Lucifer went to grumble at her but he paused seconds before a highly amused grin spread across his face with his eyes alight with sadistic glee.
Dan tried to turn away shocked, but Lucifer spun him back around.
"Oh no, Daniel, no shortcuts, remember?"
Dan grumbled but Lucifer had already moved on. He had taken out his phone still grinning like the mad Devil he currently was. Chloe did nothing to stop him from taking pictures, video, whatever it was he was doing to get obvious leverage over his twin. She was too busy observing Michael.
The archangel was tense, eyes wide in shock and surprise. His hands acted as though they had no idea where to place themselves or even if they wanted to touch the human woman currently assaulting him. Michael was clearly panicked and Chloe felt mildly concerned for him. Maybe they should step in? Save the struggling angel? Nah, Michael could surely handle one little human.
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Michael had no idea what possessed the human to grab him and assault his person. For Father's sake.
He would never admit to it but he panicked. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't hurt the human, Father forbid – literally. He felt all kinds of just wrong and sullied.
Her hands held him tighter than he had imagined. He could easily get out of it but the shock and the sting across his face distracted him. Honestly, he should have known it was coming. He had sensed her nervousness and fear but had paid no attention to it. Michael had been too focused on getting out from under her adored stare to recognize it for what it was. He was certainly paying for that mistake.
Dear sweet…was she putting her tongue in his mouth? No, no no no. This was not going to go on. He had to draw the line somewhere.
Michael gripped her hands and gently forced her hands off of him. Once free he jerked back his head until it was out of reach. Sister Francine opened her eyes and blinked at him. Michael took his chance and backpedaled out of her reach. He took a moment to get his bearings back. He could taste her in his mouth and it made him want to gag. What the hell was wrong with these humans? He shivered in revulsion.
"What was that?"
Sister Francine looked at him shocked. "I was just…You said to let it out…"
Michael gaped at her. "That was not what I meant." He went to pinch the bridge of his nose but remembered the gash at the last second. It still stung where his face had been squished between her small hands. If he ever had a Hell loop, this would be it, right here.
"Oh…you meant…I'm so sorry." Sister Francine seemed to shrink in on herself.
Damn it. "It's fine." What was he saying?! It was not fine! "Did you have any information about the case?" He made sure to put emphasis on 'case'.
The young nun looked at him regretfully. "No, I don't know anything else."
If he went through all this and she had nothing for them…so help him…
"Did Sister Victoria ever mention a fiancé or boyfriend?" Give him something for this torture, please.
Sister Francine shook her head. "No." She perked up a bit. "She did mention finding a secret room once but she never shared where it was."
A secret room? Could be a possible meeting place. It was certainly all he was going to get from Sister Francine. Michael nodded to her and grumpily turned to leave.
"I really am sorry." Her soft voice stopped him. "I don't know what came over me. I've never felt anything like this before." Michael closed his eyes and sighed. She continued. "It's just when I look at you, I feel so overwhelmed, like…"
"You're closer to God." Michael turned halfway but still met her gaze. "Like your love for him is reflected back toward you?"
"Yes, exactly." The young nun breathed relieved that he actually understood.
Michael sent her a weary smile. "It is not your fault."
Sister Francine looked nervous again. Michael understood the fear in the room before she could speak.
"Do not worry about your vows. This will not count against you." He could say that with certainty.
Sister Francine smiled at him. It was filled with gratefulness and adoration. It made Michael's skin crawl. He didn't need that from her. He was simply doing what he was supposed to do.
Michael left the room only to be faced with Chloe, Dan, and his manically grinning twin brother. He groaned and looked upward. He just knew Father was laughing at him right now. Thanks, Father, really. He glared at his brother heatedly who only grinned wider in response if that was even possible.
"Not a word." Michael growled. Lucifer would not make it two seconds after opening his mouth.
Lucifer said nothing. He did raise his phone into view and wiggle it at him mockingly. His eyes gleamed in victory.
Michael bared his teeth in rage. He was going to take that phone and shove it so far up his brother's ass he would taste it for the next couple millennia. He only made it two steps before Chloe stepped into his path. He turned rage filled eyes toward her. She was either very brave or very stupid. He was leaning toward the latter.
"Michael."
She raised her hands in an effort to placate him. Oh, she had nerves of steel. The fear was there of course. Michael could sense it swirling around her but she pushed it down well.
"I'm going to go see about those blueprints." Dan mumbled before the coward slunk away. At least that human has some sense.
"You have two seconds to move…" Michael began growling out the words between his teeth.
Lucifer was suddenly between Michael and Chloe. He held Chloe behind him with one arm while he glared back at his brother just a fiercely and with just as much anger if not more.
"Or you'll what, Michael?" Lucifer growled out in the same tone.
It was a challenge and a blatant one at that.
"No. Lucifer…"
Chloe attempted to move back around the former angel but was having no luck; his arm was like steel where it held her and was not going to budge. They were really attracting attention now. Many of her coworkers were beginning to whisper to each other and even prepare to break up the fight. This was not good. Damn it, it had taken her years to build back up her reputation and these two idiots were going to trash that within seconds. Not to mention she did not want any one getting hurt trying to break up an archangel fight. How had her life gotten so complicated?
Michael watched Chloe, what he could see of her anyway, from where Lucifer had put her. He watched her close her eyes and take deep breaths to calm herself down. He watched her come to a decision. He watched that same small human open her mouth and bite as hard as she could into the back of the Devil's arm.
Lucifer yelped out in pain and surprise turning sharply away from both of them. He gripped his arm while simultaneously trying to turn it to look as the area Chloe had sunk her teeth into. Not that he would be able to see anything through his suit jacket.
"Bloody hell, Detective! What was that for?!"
Michael looked back and forth between the two of them shock written across his own features. Had Chloe's bite actually hurt his brother? He had his suspicions when she had shot him to prove he wasn't Lucifer but to see it firsthand…A grin slowly spread across Michael's face. He watched Lucifer removed his suit jacket and begin to roll up the sleeves of his white dress shirt to inspect the damage. Sure enough Chloe had left a mark. The perfect imprint of her teeth was outlined in red around the irritated skin. Interesting.
"Oh, bloody hell." Lucifer grumbled under his breath rubbing at the injury. "I'm all for biting, Detective, but even I have limits."
"You didn't exactly give me much choice, Lucifer."
It was clear that Chloe was mad. Heat sparked in her eyes even as she moved closer to Lucifer to hiss her reprimand at him. Michael couldn't hear what was being said but it still made him feel smug to see his brother looking quite contrite in the face of such a small human. Is this what his brother had sunk to? Michael turned to leave figuring he had overstayed his welcome just as Dan returned.
"Michael."
Michael stopped turning to look back at Chloe. She had snapped his name, obviously still agitated with both him and his brother. He raised an eyebrow as he watched her send Lucifer a significant look before walking over to him.
"You coming?"
Without waiting for a response she continued on her way out of the precinct. Michael eyed her wearily. What was she playing at? The minute Chloe was out of sight Michael was pinned with his front against the wall, his left arm held tight against his back, and a hand held onto his hair firmly pushing his face into the wall. His arm burned as did the gash on his face. He noticed Dan hurriedly calming down the other humans in the precinct, running damage control, obviously.
"You harm one hair on her head, or even so much as step a toe out of line, and that gash on your face will look like child's play by the time I am through with you." Lucifer growled menacingly in his ear.
Michael could feel the heat from Lucifer's eyes boring into him. He shivered, wincing when Lucifer put more pressure on his arm.
"I wouldn't dream of harming your precious little miracle." He sneered.
Lucifer growled; his eyes burning hotter. Dan placed a hesitant, calming hand on Lucifer's shoulder.
"Come on man, not here." Dan whispered urgently. He looked nervously over his shoulder toward the rest of the precinct.
Lucifer pushed Michael into the wall harshly before letting him go and storming off. Michael stepped back rotating his arm slowly, wincing at the stings of pain that shot through it. Damn Lucifer. He did not bother looking at Dan before leaving after Chloe.
Dan turned to look at the still gathered crowd of onlookers. He laughed nervously and shrugged.
"Brothers, am I right?"
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Chloe walked through the convent as she checked the blueprints. When Dan had told her he had saved her a step and called Destiny about the blueprints she could have hugged him, even if it was just so he could escape the growing drama.
Michael had been silent on the drive over, something that kind of unnerved her, but he did keep rubbing at his left arm like it bothered him. She had sighed softly figuring Lucifer had manhandled him a bit after she left. Chloe felt like she was steadily losing her mind between the two of them. Twin's indeed.
"Okay, it should be right about here." Chloe felt around the bookshelf startling slightly when it moved inward. "Here we go." She said triumphantly.
Michael grunted behind her as he followed her into the secret room. "And there was light." He said as he flicked the light switch.
Chloe sent him a mock glare to which he simply smirked. At least his sense of humor remained unbothered.
"We are looking for signs that someone has been here recently; something new." Chloe told him.
Michael nodded before splitting off from her. Chloe watched him carefully while conducting her own search. It didn't take her as long as she thought to find a brand new mug sitting on one of the tables. The sound a gun being cocked made her freeze.
"I was hoping I found that before you."
Chloe slowly turned around raising her hands to find Hank standing behind her aiming a gun at her. She did a quick sweep of the room looking for Michael but she couldn't see him. Damn him. Had he really left her? Chloe stepped forward slowly as she talked with Hank, clarifying what happened. It did appear as though it was anger gone wrong; it usually was, but it didn't change that Sister Victoria was dead and Hank had run with the hope of getting away with it.
"She broke up with you."
"What we had, it was real." Hank scoffed. "Then she came here. She broke up with me, for this, this scam. It's all made up nonsense." He sneered.
"I've heard enough."
Chloe tensed. Michael's voice was clear, deep, rough, and angry. The atmosphere of the room was tense. Had it gotten darker? She watched wearily as Michael stepped out of the shadows into view. His eyes even looked angry. Michael kept moving until he was between her and Hank.
"Michael." She said quietly. He was an unpredictable variable. She suddenly cursed herself for bringing him.
Michael glared at the human in front of him. How dared this human criticize Sister Victoria?
Hank lowered the gun with a sarcastic huff kind of laugh. "You are such a gentleman. You can die first."
Two shots rang out into the room. Chloe gasped in surprise but stared wide eyed at Michael who didn't twitch a muscle. Son of a bitch. What was she going to do if Michael decided to take insult to being shot…again?
Hank shook. "What the hell?" He shot three more round into the thing in front of him. "What are you?"
Michael stepped toward the now shaking human menacingly. He released his aura into the room. "What if it was real?" He growled.
Chloe was watching wide eyed at the scene unfolding before her. She could do nothing. Suddenly, she felt like a vice had gripped her chest. Chloe couldn't breathe through the sudden fear that encompassed her. "Michael." She whispered her voice shaking.
Michael paused momentarily glancing at Chloe from the corner of his eye. He had no desire to scare her. He pulled his aura from her and focused it away from her. Chloe breathed heavily in relief behind him. Michael turned back to the trembling, sad excuse for a human in front of him.
"You have no idea of the life she could have lived; of the life you took from her." Michael had never felt so much anger toward one human being. How dare this stain think he knew anything? How dare he think he knew better than Sister Victoria?
Hank looked between the bullet holes in Michael's shirt to his face. "Tha…That's impossible." He stuttered his hand shaking.
With a loud 'woosh', dark wings manifested at Michael's back. Hank stumbled backwards. Chloe gasped as she took in the large dark wings. Were they really black or did they just look that way in the darkness of the room? They were just as magnificent as he remembered Lucifer's being, with the exception of Lucifer's being white. They displayed themselves proudly even though she could just pick up on a trembling from each of the feathers. Were they reacting to Michael's anger? The right wing looked awkward at the wrist (she thought that was the correct terminology – she would be looking up wings tonight for sure) almost like it had been broken at one point then healed back wrong. Chloe decided she would not think too hard about how those wings were making her feel. Time and place.
"If what you had was so real, you should have supported her." Michael continued just as angrily. He stepped closer tightening his aura around the now crying human.
Chloe needed to stop this. Hank was going to have a heart attack at this rate. "Michael, stop."
The left wing lowered enough that Michael could look over his shoulder at her. The anger that simmered in those dark brown eyes made Chloe pause. She shook herself. If she could stand up to Lucifer's devil face then she could stand up to Michael.
"I know you are angry right now, Michael, but killing Hank through fear will not help." She hoped her voice sounded calm and yet firm at the same time. Chloe really hoped Michael didn't actually intend to kill Hank.
Michael looked back to Hank with a frown. Hank was trembling and shaking with tears streaming down his face. He still stood simply due to being so frozen in his fear. Michael rolled his eyes before looking past the fear. Guilt was heavy around the human.
"I hope you find peace before you die, Hank." Michael growled and with a mighty flap of his wings he knocked the frightened man over hard enough he was knocked out cold.
Chloe felt relief fill her once she was sure Hank was still breathing. She cuffed him before turning to look at Michael as he watched her stoically. Slowly, she stood from beside Hank to call in officers to take him away. Once done, she put away her phone stepping over to Michael.
"Michael?" Her tone was quiet and hesitant. Chloe didn't want to startle the angel who was staring at the floor angrily; wings still twitching at his back.
Michael looked at her. Slowly, his body appeared to relax as the anger slowly faded. Those dark wings flapped a bit, as though shaking off an unseen substance, before folding away from sight. Chloe had a brief thought wondering where they went but decided against asking. She did not want her brain to melt any more than it already has.
"You okay?" She questioned.
Michael nodded though he did not speak. Even when the officers collected Hank, Michael said not a word. He stayed silent by her side the entire time. Chloe couldn't help but be worried.
Michael had watched Chloe from the shadows. She had proven many times she could handle herself. He would not interfere unless need be. Besides, he had wanted to observe her more. Then Hank opened his mouth. Michael had fumed at the humans words. Their relationship was real, was it? If it was so real, where did all the support go? If he loved her so damn much he should have listened instead of judging her. He should have…
Please, brother, just listen to me!
It didn't matter what the human should have done. Michael was enraged for more reasons than this simple human would ever be able to comprehend.
He lashed out, turned his own mojo on the human. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about Chloe. She did not deserve to feel fear like that. It was her that drew him back.
Michael sensed her fear; knew she was afraid even as her voice stayed calm and firm. It was not him she was afraid of. No, she had been afraid for the traumatized human. How could one human be so strong? It made no sense to him, and yet he now understood how she and Lucifer could work. He now understood what his Father had done. Michael felt an old feeling rise again, one he had not felt in eons; loneliness. He had thought he had squashed it down deep never to resurface again and yet here it was.
Michael knew he was no longer needed but he remained by Chloe's side. She did not seem to mind him being there as he observed her. Chloe handled things with expert care. Michael found himself admiring how she handled herself. She was a human in her element.
Chloe finished speaking with the officers as they led Hank away before turning to him. Michael tilted his head at her as he registered her suddenly nervous disposition.
"Yes, Chloe?"
"I just didn't think you guys could…" She waved a hand at him. "You know…reveal yourselves like that."
"We're not supposed to." Michael gave her a small smile of mischief and a one-sided shrug.
Chloe eyed him for a moment before shaking her head at him. "You are something else."
The detective motioned for him to follow her as they moved to leave the convent. A couple of the nuns passed them and gave him adoring smiles and small waves. Michael returned a hesitant smile. He would be glad to never come here again.
"Okay, seriously, what is up with that?"
Michael sighed. "It's an angel thing; a rather annoying one at that."
Chloe looked at him unimpressed. "I figured that. What causes it?"
"Do you honestly want to know?"
"Can you keep it simple?"
Michael smiled indulgently at her. "I can try." He turned to face her fully. "It's similar to a mirror effect. Those with honest faith, when in the presence of angels, will see their love for Father reflected back at them. It causes an array of effects. Some can handle it like Sister Angelica, most are like most of the nuns here, while some can get a little overwhelmed."
Chloe nodded. "Like Sister Francine."
Michael glared at her for the reminder while she smirked at him. "Apparently. Thankfully, that is one response I've not come across before and hopefully never will again."
"So, you've had this happen before?"
Michael gave a short nod. "Yes, many times. Why do you think I am one of few angels so well known?"
"Saint Michael, huh?"
Chloe appeared to be enjoying teasing him. Michael wasn't so sure he appreciated it very much. He rolled his eyes and groaned in protest. "Please don't. You do a few good deeds on Fathers behest and suddenly you're a Saint."
Chloe continued to smile. "Do other angels have the same effect with their powers?"
"Why the sudden curiosity in angels, Chloe?" Michael eyed her wearily again.
Chloe shrugged. "I'm just trying to figure things out. I guess I can ask Amenadiel." She looked at him intently. "Thank you for helping." She said sincerely.
The archangel watched the human walk away toward her car. Thank you? When was the last time he received an honest 'thank you'? He couldn't remember. It did funny things to him and he was not amused. What was with her? Was it just because she was a miracle? He wouldn't know; she was the first miracle he had honestly interacted with.
"Lucifer's does." He called to her before he could stop himself. What was he doing?
Chloe stopped and turned to look at him holding her car door open. She looked confused. "What?"
"You asked if any others had a similar effect on people. Lucifer's does."
Michael watched the wheels turn in her head. Was he really telling her this? He was going to be undermining himself by doing this.
"Their desires are reflected back at them." He heard her mumble before her head snapped up. "It doesn't work like that for me."
Michael shrugged and gritted his teeth. "I'm not going to hold your hand, Chloe. You're smart. Figure it out."
He flew off before she could question him further; before he could reveal anything else to her. What the hell was he doing?
