"The Grand Reopening of the LUX nightclub was scheduled for tonight, one year after a fire broke out that destroyed the top six floors of the building. The restoration of the building took under four months to complete."
Chloe glanced up from her desk, and her eyes found the TV in the precinct. The morning news played in the background until one of the cops decided to turn up the volume to hear the current report.
"The opening has been delayed once already due to an ongoing investigation. Officials are trying to determine what caused the fire in the first place. The remains of eleven bodies were found, and autopsy reports indicated that all eleven were dead before the fire broke out. The identities of the eleven victims were of people who had been reported missing that day."
The detective stood up from her desk and slowly made her way to where others had gathered around the TV.
"Notorious club owner, Lucifer Morningstar, was presumed dead in the inferno; however, his remains were never found."
Chloe's heart leapt to her throat as they talked about him. His elegant image flashed across the screen. Dressed in the classic black suit and white dress shirt. His flirting smile revealing his pearly whites. The detective could feel the sympathetic eyes of her colleagues gravitate towards her. Most of them knew that she had a close working relationship with the man. The others who'd started in the last year had only heard the rumours about their partnership.
"The investigation of what caused the fire on the top floor that morning and the club owner's involvement with the missing persons continues. The opening of LUX will be announced at a later date. Club goers are eagerly waiting for..."
A voice boomed throughout the station. "Decker, my office now."
Chloe took a deep breath before she headed towards the lieutenant's office. The woman stood in the doorway and waited for an invitation to sit. The man gestured to the chair. Reluctantly, she walked in and sat in the chair opposite her boss.
"I thought I told you to take today off," Ross spoke. He sat on the edge of his desk, with his arms folded across his chest. "I know that today is a difficult day for you. With..." He paused for a moment, his underlying anxiety starting to simmer. "With what happened to... umm... him."
"Yeah, no. I need to keep myself busy." Chloe let out a sigh. "I can't sit at home. I need to be here."
"I get it. I do." Ross stood up and sat down in the chair beside her; his body was tense. "Chloe, is he... is he really gone?"
The woman could hear the panic in Ross' voice. She nodded her head, lowering her gaze to the floor. The Lieutenant had been back in the chair for over two months now, but she wondered if he was ready. He always seemed to be on edge when she was around. However, according with the doctors at the institute he had a speedy recovery and after several phycological assessments tests, he was deem fit to return to the force.
"Good." He let out a sigh of relief but realized that he sounded insensitive. "I mean, it's just..."
"I know," Chloe looked up, her jaw tightening. "I know what you mean, Ross. Even if he was here, I want you to know he would never hurt you. He wouldn't hurt anyone." She paused for a moment, rethinking her statement. "Unless they deserved it. Which you don't."
"But he is gone, right?" Ross asked again, seeming oblivious to Chloe's feelings.
"Yeah. Yes. He is." Chloe held on to the tears, so ready to break through even after all this time. "I, umm, should get back to work." She stood up.
"Right." The Lieutenant followed suit. "Let me know if you need anything." Chloe gave the man a weak smile and a slight nod as she left the office.
Chloe's day seemed to drag on, with the lingering memories of the last time she saw her love dying on the floor, as everything around them burned. She could still feel the heat from the flames. She could barely focus when people spoke to her; even though they stood in front of her, they sounded miles away. She went through the motions, but she wasn't truly there.
It was late when Chloe finally finished her day and made her way home. Trixie was already asleep when she arrived. The babysitter was quietly tidying up the kitchen; she had graciously left a plate of leftover supper for the detective. Chloe paid the woman, thanked her for the help, and then walked her to the door. The detective was finally alone.
Trixie put her ear up against her bedroom door; faint sobs could be heard from the other side. Slowly and quietly, the young girl slid open the door. Her mother sat on the floor, knees tucked into her chest, next to the empty fireplace. She hadn't had a fire in there for a long time: not since the last time she saw him, when flames had been surrounding them. One of her hands was covering her eyes, hiding her wracking sobs. The other hand held the bullet necklace. Trixie started tiptoeing around the couch. Stealthily, she sat down beside her mom and wrapped her arms around her.
"Monkey," Chloe voiced through the sobs, "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She wiped the tears from her face and tried to compose herself.
"Of course not, Mom. I just… I just wanted to be here with you." The child gave her mom a weak smile. "You would do the same for me."
"What would I do without you?" Chloe flashed a grateful smile before she wrapped her arms around her child and pulled her in close. She kissed her forehead.
"Obviously, your life would be boring," Trixie joked. She didn't know how else to comfort her mother at this point. Almost every day for a year, the child would hear her mom cry, even though she'd tried to keep it a secret. Trixie just wanted to see her mom smile. "I am pretty awesome."
"You are more than awesome, but right now, it's past your bedtime." Chloe started to push herself up. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."
"Wait. Please." Trixie held on to her arm. "Not yet."
Chloe looked at her daughter in confusion; she noticed the little glisten in the corner of the child's eye. They sat in silence for a long time, sitting in each other's embrace.
"I know you miss him," Trixie revealed, the child looked up at her mom. "I miss him too." She let out a little sob; it was the first time she'd admitted her feelings for the absent man out loud. "It's not fair."
"I know, baby." Chloe was not surprised by her daughter's revelation. She attempted not to let the waterworks go again, but she couldn't help shedding a few more tears. "Shhh. We will be okay, and I will be okay. Some days are just harder than others, and today was one of those hard days."
Trixie looked up at her mother with her sad eyes before lowering herself to the floor. Her head found a resting spot on Chloe's lap, and the mother's fingers played with Trixie's hair. It wasn't long until the girl fell asleep.
Chloe's heart started to pound in her chest when she heard a loud thud from outside. She snatched a decorative pillow from the nearby chair, then gently she lifted her daughter's head off her lap and placed it on the pillow.
The detective stood up and saw a shadow pass by her window. Followed by a faint knock on the door. She walked over to a side table and fetched a gun that she kept there for safekeeping. Chloe gripped the weapon behind her back. There was another knock, louder this time. Her free hand turned the doorknob. She pulled the door slowly and peeked around as it opened.
"Chloe!" the familiar figure gasped, a massive smile across his face.
The woman stared at the man in front of her; there was so much to take in. A single white wing drooped to his left, moulting almost. Definitely injured, pulling him off balance to one side. The detective wondered what had happened to its twin. The bare-chested man struggled to take in shallow breaths. Just like his wing, there were visible abrasions on his once-perfect skin. His pants were frayed, and around his ankle was a thick metal cuff with a broken chain dragging behind. But what she couldn't help notice was the sword that his fingers were loosely wrapped around; a thick black substance covered his hand and dripped down to the tip of the blade.
Amenadiel had told her about Lucifer's imprisonment in Hell, not in great detail for obvious reasons, but this was almost more than she could handle. He looked so broken, so small in front of her. Yet, he had a ridiculous grin on his face as he stared at her. Before she could even get a word out, his knees gave way, smashing on the concrete stoop. The sword dropped to the ground with a loud clang. Quickly, Chloe let go of her gun so she could catch the rest of his body before he totally collapsed. There was a dull thud as the gun hit the floor.
"Lucifer… oh my God," Chloe muttered as his head rested wearily on her shoulder. She looked down his back and noticed a dagger embedded where his wing was connected to his back. "What did they do to you?" Her voice was barely audible. She could feel his weak arms wrap around her.
"I'm sorry," Lucifer gasped. With what strength he could muster, he lifted his head up and gazed at her. "I'm so sorry." His lip quivered as he repeated his apology over and over again. "I'm so sorry."
"Shhh. It's okay." Chloe glanced behind her, remembering that Trixie was sleeping on the floor of the living room. She didn't want her daughter to see Lucifer like this; it was hard enough for her. "Look, Lucifer, I need to get Trixie to bed, then I am coming back to help you. Okay?" She helped lower him slowly into a seated position, with his side against the outside wall of the apartment.
"Chloe." He reached for her hand. "I'm sorry. Please..."
"Shh. Lucifer, I know. I'll be right back." She pulled her hand away from him. Her eye noticed the gun on the ground and picked it up to put it away in it's place. Quickly, she ran inside.
It didn't take long until she'd settled her daughter into her own bed. She paused on the stairs, her body shaking with adrenalin. Then she went back outside; he hadn't moved from where she left him. Her heart sank when she noticed that his eyes were closed.
"No, no, no. Lucifer, wake up." She cupped his face with her hands, but there was no response. Then she tapped him gently on the cheek. "Please wake up, Lucifer. Lucifer," she cried. Her face was an inch away from his; she leaned in and kissed him. "Please, Lucifer." Slowly his eyes opened, and he gazed right back at her. "You scared me. Don't you dare do that again, okay?" He beamed and nodded his head.
"Let's get you up." She started to pull him to his feet; she looked at the door, wondering how he was going to fit with his wing out. "Can you, umm..." She looked at him and then his wing. "Can you put it away?"
"No." He shook his head slightly. Gingerly, he looked over his shoulder.
"Shit," she muttered when he reminded her of the dagger in his back. His glazed eyes looked up at her; they slowly closed as he fought to say awake. Clearly, he could tell that she was apprehensive about what she had to do. "It's okay… it's okay." After a moment, she nodded her head and walked around him.
When she examined the dagger, it looked mean, and not from this world, much like the sword lying on the ground. Gently, she placed her hand in the middle of his back next to the blade. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she gripped the hilt of the dagger with her free hand. She could feel him tense up as he held his breath.
With a savage expression, she yanked.
"AGGHH," he grunted, followed by a painful chuckle. Then he keeled over in agony, his body trembling.
"I'm sorry," Chloe repeated as she dropped the knife. For a moment she felt unable to otherwise help him, and wanted to cry. She was scared to touch him any further; she didn't want to add to his pain. She watched as he steadied his breathing before he shrugged his shoulders and the injured wing disappeared into his back. It was the first time she'd seen this phenomenon, knowing very well that even after seeing it, the physics of it all would always be a mystery. The blood from the wound started to trickle down the left side of his back. Immediately, Chloe was by his side as she helped him up. Her hand covered the gash to protect it.
"Chloe, I..." Lucifer started; they took their time stepping into the house towards the couch.
"Shh. I know." She gave him a weak smile. "It's okay." She struggled under his weight, but persevered, knowing that he was barely able to hold himself up. Carefully, she lowered him onto the couch. "We'll talk later. Let's patch you up first."
"Chloe." The man lay on his right side; he reached for her hand to stop her from walking away. She looked down at his pleading eyes. "I'm s... s... sorry." The word stumbled out of his mouth.
The detective knelt down beside him; her gentle hand cupped his face. Her thumb stroked his cheekbone as her lips touched his forehead. Then his cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for." Her lips finally found his. When she pulled up, his fingers wouldn't let go of her wrist. "Hey, I want to stay," she flashed a playful smile, "but I need to patch you up because you're bleeding all over my couch." He returned the smile and let her go.
Chloe wasn't gone long when she returned with a first aid kit. She pulled the coffee table closer and sat on it while she sorted through the material for the best bandage to use on his puncture wound.
Lucifer watched every move she made, studying everything about her. He noticed her hair. "You... you cut your hair," Lucifer said, even though it was a struggle. Nothing was going to keep the Devil from keeping his mouth shut.
"I did." She took a sterile wipe to clean around the wound. The bleeding had slowed down. "A couple of times." Smiling slightly, she peeled back the packaging of the gauze.
"How long...?" Lucifer asked, brow furrowed. He knew he'd been gone for a while, but the concept of how much time had escaped him during his imprisonment. He noticed the change in Chloe's face. A shadow loomed over her. The woman opened her mouth to speak, except nothing came out. She taped the gauze firmly in place, avoiding his stare. "Chloe?"
"I..." The detective started to gather up the discarded wrappers. She balled the garbage in the palm of her hand and zipped up the first aid kit.
"How… How long has it been?" Lucifer found the strength to push himself up; his hand reached for hers. He knew by her reaction that it was longer than it should have been.
"Stop. It doesn't matter. Right now, you need your rest." She stood up and reached for the blanket that lay crumpled on the floor from earlier.
"Chloe?" he insisted. He finally met her eyes and could see the sadness behind them.
She caved in. "A year." The last thing she wanted to add to his already dreadful ordeal was guilt. "We will talk about it later; you need to sleep." She attempted to cover him with the blanket, but he remained in an upright position, his dumbfounded gaze not leaving her.
"I'm so sorry," he uttered for the tenth time in the last hour.
"Really? I had no idea." The woman chuckled at her own sarcasm, but he didn't find it funny. "Lucifer." She sat down beside him. "None of this was your choice, and your captivity was not a choice." After many years in the force, she knew too well about survivors' guilt. He opened his mouth to protest. "No. I don't want to hear it. You're back. That's all I care about." Chloe kissed him on the lips. "Now we both need some sleep, okay?" Her fingers caressed his cheek.
Lucifer gave her a weak smile; he didn't know how he'd got so lucky with her. Obediently, he lay back down on the couch; as the woman covered his body with the blanket. She kissed him on the forehead and settled on the floor next to him. Her hand tightly wrapped around his. She didn't ever want to let go again. Within minutes, the sleep he had been fighting eventually took over.
Note: Chapter was Beta read by SailorChronos1! Thank You!