Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. Hope you are doing well. Here is the last chapter for the year. The story with continue you in 2021! Happy New Year!

- Hell -

Maze wandered the halls of Hell, looking for the King, but he always seemed to be missing in action. Since he'd flown her back down, he hadn't been himself. Not the Lucifer that she had known. Even before they'd gone to Earth, he'd always found ways to have fun, even though he hated his job. This new Lucifer was melancholy and kept to himself most of the time. And the only time she didn't see him sad was when he would lose his temper at the demons for not doing their tasks properly. He defiantly put them in their place. They were terrified of their King.

Maze found herself in the corridor where she usually found him. She spotted a demon pacing nervously outside the door. "Again?" she asked. The demon just nodded his head and ran away. Maze let out an annoyed sigh and walked into the cell.

The familiar lit streets of Los Angeles, the memory frozen in place. The soul of James Colbert sat on the curb of the sidewalk, twirling the detonator in his hand. A look of boredom on his face. Every once in a while, he would press the button, hoping that the bomb would go off and he could start his memory over again. Maze knew that Lucifer had done quite a number on the soul; he didn't ever dare to speak when Lucifer was in the cell. He knew better.

There Lucifer stood still in front of his Detective, his Chloe. Of the few memories in which she made an appearance in Hell, this one had the best version of his love. Everything about her was perfect in his eyes. He missed her more than he had missed anything in his entire existence.

"You know you are just torturing yourself by being here, right?" The demon walked up to her old friend and lord.

"Leave me alone, Mazikeen," Lucifer spat. He stared at the woman he loved through glazed-over eyes. His heart ached in his chest.

"Lucifer, everyone is scared of you. Do you really think they would come up with a plan to overthrow you now?" Maze walked in front of the image of the Detective, blocking his view. Lucifer raised his hand, getting ready to backhand the demon, but he managed to stop when he realized what he was doing. "If it makes you feel better, do it," she taunted him. Lucifer just turned around and began to walk away.

Maze ran after him. "No. Hit me. Just do it already."

"I do not want hit you Maze," Lucifer bellowed.

"Then what do you want to do?" Maze asked, knowing very well the answer.

"I want…" The man looked up at the LUX building in the distance. "I want to be with her."

"Then go." Maze scoffed. "You're the King of Hell. You made that very clear since you returned. Besides, I'll make sure that the little monsters stay in line while you're gone."

"But…" Lucifer thought about it for a moment, what his dear demon was saying made sense. He gave the woman a weak smile. "I won't be long."

- Earth -

The days following were taken up by several inquiries about Chloe's speedy recovery. Amenadiel and Linda were very good about describing the miracle they'd witnessed before their eyes, leaving the doctors stumped. Not everyone believed the story, of course. Most people believed it was a hoax, since Chloe's name and picture were never released in order to keep her profession as a detective under wraps. Lieutenant MacCallum made sure that any rumors in the precinct about Detective Decker were squashed, saying only that she was taking a leave of absence in the peace of her own home without anyone to bother her.

It was Thursday night, five days since Chloe had returned home from hospital, and six days since the Devil shad told her 'I love you' before he'd left once more. it was already six o'clock in the evening and Chloe had barely moved from her bed that day, let alone over the last week. Her heart was grieving the loss of the man she loved, and apparently, he loved her in return. Yet, he was gone, leaving an empty void inside. Lucifer wasn't dead, but it sure felt like it. She'd been through this before when he'd left the first time around.

"Mom!" The child called from the main floor. Trixie had stayed home from school the past week. The trauma of almost losing her mom for the millionth time gave her a 'get out of school free' card, and she used it to her advantage. She claimed that she wanted to stay home to take care of her mom, which was not a total lie, but in reality, she was busy planning the best game night ever. "Mom!" she called again. This time she marched up the stairs. "Mom, aren't you coming?" Trixie asked as she swung open the bedroom door, to see that her mother was still in bed. "Mom, you're not ready. He will be here around seven, and you can't go to game night like that."

"Look, Monkey." Chloe sat up in bed and rested her head on the headboard. "I know you want him come over tonight, but you know where he is and he…" Chloe paused for a moment, struggling to even say his name. "Lucifer has his responsibilities as the Lord of Hell; he won't have time, or even remember to show up for game night."

"No, he'll be here." Trixie grabbed her mother's hand and attempted to pull her out of bed. "Now, when was the last time you showered? You stink."

"Thanks." Chloe scoffed with dismay, but realized her daughter was right. It had been a while since she'd had a shower or practiced any form of personal hygiene in the last few days. "Fine. I'll take a shower, but not because he's coming."

Fifteen minutes later and feeling cleaner, Chloe made her way down the stairs, slowing down on the last few steps as she looked around. The lights were dimmed with a few candles lit. There was a fire blazing in the fireplace. The coffee table had an impressive spread with candies, chips, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, and glasses ready for wine and juice. The blanket that she'd woken up with in the hospital was spread out on the floor with a small pile of games just to the side. Chloe sighed, realizing that her daughter was recreating the game night they had a long time ago. She had been so caught up in how she was handling things that she hadn't considered how Trixie was doing. The girl had built her own relationship with the Devil. Ever since they'd first met, she'd been infatuated with him.

"Trix, how did you…" Chloe started as she turned towards the kitchen, to see Dan cooking grilled cheese sandwiches on the stove. "Dan, are you encouraging this? He's not coming."

"Well, even if he doesn't, you still need to eat." Her ex smiled as he flipped the perfectly toasted grilled cheese onto a plate.

"Since when have you been on Team Lucifer? It wasn't that long ago when you couldn't even be in the same room as him." Chloe sat down on the stool.

"Well, frankly, he scares me. I don't know what he is or what his deal is, but he seems to care for you and Trixie. What more could I want for my ex-wife and my daughter?" Dan laughed at his own twisted thoughts. "He'd better show up, or I might have to track him down."

"Dan, that's not..." Chloe scoffed before shaking her head. "For the first time in his life, he's doing what he has to do, and that means he can't be here. I can't be mad at him for that."

"Well, I don't know what that means, but I do hope he stops by." Dan stated as he turned off the stove. "But right now, I need to go. I have a date."

"What?" Chloe's interest was piqued. "Who is it?"

"Well, it's a blind date. Amenadiel set it up for me." Dan winced. "So, this could possibly be very good, or very weird."

"Well, good luck." Chloe flashed a weak smile.

"Promise me you will have a good night. Both of you. You deserve it." Dan pulled his jacket on. "Trixie!" he called out. "I'm leaving."

"Bye, Dad," the child called out from her room.

"Have a good night, Dan." Chloe stood up and walked with him to the door.

"Everything is going to be okay." Dan pulled her into a warm embrace. "You'll see."

Two and half hours had passed; the candles were out. They had pulled the blanket onto the couch as they cuddled in front of the fire. They both had stuffed themselves with the delicious spread, Chloe had enjoyed several glasses of wine, and they'd played a few games with just the two of them. They stopped after a few rounds when they realized that it would be more fun with more people. So, they retreated to the couch for some good snuggle time. Trixie's head rested on her mom's lap and Chloe brushed her fingers through her hair.

"I really thought he was going to come," Trixie mumbled. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue.

"I know, Monkey." Chloe sighed; she hated to see her child disappointed. The mother reached over to the wine bottle and emptied the rest of its content into her glass. "Lucifer never said he was going to come."

"I know, but he smiled. I guess I was hoping that meant he would be here." The child yawned as she spoke. "I just miss him."

"I miss him too." Chloe's voice was soft.

The mother and daughter sat in silence with the crackle of the dying fire for the evening soundtrack. As Chloe sipped on the smooth Merlot, her fingers traced a figure-eight pattern on Trixie's back, and soon, with the help of the gentle touch, the child had fallen asleep.

Chloe watched the blaze of the fire and couldn't help but think of the flames of Hell. Wondering what it was like down there. Lucifer had always avoided the topic whenever it was brought up. It was clear to her that he detested his chosen job of being a punisher. If just a few months on Earth was thousands of years for him, she couldn't even fathom what that would be like. She was surprised that he even remembered little things like their favourite meal, when she could barely remember what she ate last week. She began to wonder if he could actually eat in Hell, and if he could, what he would eat? A bug sandwich?

The woman was startled by a knock on the door. She looked down to see that the child was still sleeping. Gently she lifted up Trixie's head and slid out from underneath, and slowly lowered her head back down. There was a second knock on the door. Chloe walked towards the door, her pulse quickening as she wondered who could possibly be at the door at this hour. She opened the door and stared at the man before her.

"Hi?" The man spoke, confused by the woman's blank stare. "Is this a bad time?"

"Hi, No. It's fine," Chloe was surprised at the visitor standing on the other side of the door: Lieutenant MacCallum. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you, to make sure you were okay. You have been ignoring my calls," the man replied.

"Oh, sorry about that. I just haven't…" Chloe looked down at her bare feet. "I've been trying to cope with…you know…everything." She looked up at him. "Do you want to come in for a drink, Ross?"

"Sure." Her boss accepted and followed the Detective to the kitchen. "I know you have been through a lot in the last week; I can't imagine it's been easy." The lieutenant made a mental note of the half-eaten spread on the coffee table as he walked by. But what caught his eye was the two wine glasses, but only one had been used. "I'm sorry, were you expecting someone?" He indicated the wine glasses.

"No..." Chloe laughed nervously. "It's nothing. Trixie thought that…" She stopped herself from finishing the sentence. "It's nothing. It's stupid." She changed the subject. "I have beer, wine, whiskey, and I think I might have an old bottle of Jager somewhere."

"A beer is fine. Thank you." Ross sat down on the stool and watched as Chloe opened the fridge to retrieve a bottle. She cracked it open and passed it to him. "This was your dad's favorite beer," he noted in surprise.

"Mmm. It was." Chloe gave him a weak smile.

"I think the last time I drank this was with him after a long day of work." Ross smiled as he took a sip. "Your dad was a good man. I was lucky to have him as my mentor. When I found out that there was a position for me in L.A. and you were a Detective here, I had to come. To make sure you were safe. But you seem to be able to handle everything on your own. You must have an angel on your shoulder, or something."

"Oh. Yeah, you could say something like that." Chloe gave him another smile. If he only knew how right he actually was. "How are things down at the station?"

"It's been busy. We have been trying to piece together evidence for your case. We have one more witness to question but he appears to be MIA." Ross went instantly from 'old buddy' to serious work mode. "That's why I have been calling, I was hoping you could help me locate Lucifer Morningstar."

"Oh, umm. Lucifer. He is…" Chloe paused to think of her next words. "I'm not sure where he is," she lied. "I know he left for business, but I'm not sure where. I'm not sure if we will see him again."

"Really?" The man clearly didn't believe her. "From what I heard, you two were really close. I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't know where he is."

"Well, I don't." Chloe sighed. She reached into the cupboard and fetched herself a glass and proceeded to fill it with tap water. "Why do you need to talk to him, anyway? I thought we had everything to put Andrew Leeds away?"

"We do. But something doesn't make sense to me." Ross took another sip of his beer before he continued. "Mr. Morningstar seemed to have some insight on information that no one else seems to know. It's a little suspicious, don't you think?"

"That's ridiculous. Lucifer would never hurt me," Chloe scoffed in disbelief. This man had no clue of the lengths the Devil had gone through just to keep her from harm.

His attitude shifted again. "You look pretty heartbroken. You look like you have been crying for days," Ross stated. "Did he break up with you?" He didn't give Chloe a chance to reply. "It wouldn't surprise me if he did. The man is a loose cannon, and clearly unstable. Claiming he is the Devil. I mean, come on."

"Stop it. You know nothing about him. How could you, when you barely spent any time with him." Chloe attempted to stop her boss from roasting the man she loved. "Besides, my relationship with Lucifer is none of your business."

"It is my business if he is a missing witness." Ross stood up from his seat. "Look, Chloe. I know you want to protect him. But please, if you see him, send him my way. I just want to talk to him."

"Fine," Chloe's spat. She was angry with herself for being so defensive. She knew that Ross was just doing his job. She also knew that Lucifer would come across as crazy, since he would claim to be the Devil on a regular basis. But she had to stand up for her man.

"It's getting late, I should be going." Ross started walking towards the door, Chloe following behind him. "I do hope we see you back on the job soon."

"I will let you know." Chloe gave the man a fake smile. She reached for the handle and opened the door. Her jaw dropped to see none other than the Devil on the other side of the door. One hand bore a bouquet of roses and in the other balanced a chocolate cake.

"Well, speak of the Devil," Ross said in a mocking voice.

Note: Chapter was Beta read by SailorChronos1! Thank You!