Lucifer couldn't quite believe that the Detective was okay with his Devil-ness. She was clearly seeing him only as an angel, thanks to his wings, but maybe that was okay. Better even. This way he could tell her what was really going on and she'd believe him, but she wouldn't be scared. He would just have to keep her thinking that, and everything would be fine.

He did, however, wish he could talk to Dr. Martin about this. Really talk to her. If she would just give up on the metaphors maybe she would be of more use. At the moment he was quite certain Linda was getting more out of their little arrangement than he was. Still, he didn't mind that.

What he did mind was everyone looking at the Detective like she was the Devil instead of merely walking beside the Devil.

"What's their problem?" Lucifer asked her.

"Not sure," Chloe replied. "Do I have a 'hate me' sign on my face?"

Lucifer checked, looking her up and down. "Nope," he said. "Nothing but your standard level of profession law enforcement face, Detective." She didn't say anything in reply and Lucifer followed her to her desk. She sat down and began working on something that didn't look very interesting.

"You know we don't have any active cases right now," Chloe told him. "I didn't even call you in."

"Ah, yes, but look around," Lucifer said. "How can I leave when I'm the only one in the room not glaring at you?"

"I'm a big girl, Lucifer," Chloe said. "I can take care of myself."

Rather than listen to her, Lucifer decided to investigate on his own and walked away from her desk. He hadn't been completely right about the glaring. There was one other person not looking daggers at the Detective. Dan had just walked in, looking worried rather than mad.

"I take it this means you know why everyone is mad at the Detective?" Lucifer said by way of greeting.

Dan gave him a look of disgust then proceeded to ignore Lucifer and continue walking to Chloe's desk. Lucifer decided to follow suit and soon they were both standing over Chloe.

Slowly Chloe looked up. "And you are both staring at me because?"

"It's about Malcolm," Dan said.

"The guy's been in a coma for months," Chloe reminded Detective Douche.

"His wife decided to pull the plug," Dan explained. "Malcolm is dying today, and you are still investigating him for corruption."

"Oh great, so they hate me even more now," Chloe groaned.

"Maybe stay away from the precinct tonight," Dan suggested. "Cops are staging a living wake here."

"Anything else?" she asked.

Detective Douche looked like he didn't want to say whatever it was in front of Lucifer. Chloe indulged him and the two of them walked out of ear shot. Lucifer could have tried to listen, but he decided to stay and mess around with Chloe's desk instead. He'd had rather a lot of fun last time he'd been left alone at her desk, rearranging the paperclips.

"And what did Detective Douche want?" Lucifer asked when she returned.

"For me to close my case against Malcom," Chloe sighed. "He gave me 24 hours to solve it or drop it." She was holding the file Dan had brought over, which Lucifer assumed was everything the cops had on Malcolm.

"Well well, Detective," Lucifer said, grinning. "Looks like we have a case."

"Yeah, but not here," she said.

"Yes, very good idea," Lucifer said. "Too many judgy eyes. How about Lux?"

"How about my place," Chloe countered.

"Oh, even better!" Lucifer said, but Chloe just rolled her eyes at him. "And yes I know you're driving."

"Correct," Chloe said as she collected her keys off her desk and headed out with Lucifer following behind.

Lucifer talked a bit on the drive over, but not about anything in particular. He could tell the Detective's mind was elsewhere. When they arrived Chloe laid out all the contents of the file on her living room floor.

"Really?" Lucifer said. "Why not the table?" She just shrugged. "Well have it your way then." And Lucifer sat down on the floor beside her.

He really did try and listen when she explained what all the photos meant, but he could hardly keep his eyes open. How had she managed to make a mysterious attack so boring?

"As much as I appreciate the effort you really don't have to help," Chloe chuckled at him. "This isn't a normal case."

"Ah, but you helped me get my wings back," Lucifer said. "Quid pro quo. I am here to help, even if I have no idea how to get anything meaningful out of any of this." He gestured to the piles of photos and notes on the floor before them.

"The problem is neither can I," Chloe groaned. She leaned back so far in frustration that she ended up laid out on the floor.

"Oh, that's new," Lucifer said as he followed suit, laying down on the floor beside her.

"I'd hit a wall with his case before today and there haven't been any new leads," Chloe continued. "Just a new deadline."

"Well, what do you usually do when you hit a wall?" Lucifer asked. "Like if we were investigating a normal type murder."

"Well I grab a fresh pair of eyes," Chloe said.

Lucifer pointed to himself, which was a rather odd thing to do while laying flat on his back on the floor. "New eyes, or rather very old eyes, but at least new to this case."

"That would be great except for the fact that you can't make sense of it either," Chloe reminded him.

"This is papers and stuff," Lucifer said. "I'm more of a people person." Chloe sat up rather abruptly then got to her feet, with sudden energy. Lucifer followed suit. The Detective had clearly had an idea.

"Then let's go back to the crime scene," Chloe said. "Maybe your eyes can see something mine didn't."

"Excellent," Lucifer replied. "Sounds like much more fun than paperwork."

Once again Lucifer found himself in the passenger seat of the Detective's car as they headed to the crime scene. The place looked rather ratty, with old plastic cups and newspapers on the ground.

"So, this is Palmetto street," Lucifer said as they walked into the building.

"I want to re-enact the shooting," Chloe said, in her serious cop voice. "I want to figure out what I missed."

"Just tell me where to stand, Detective," Lucifer said cheerfully.

"You will represent the seedy criminal element," Chloe told him as she pointed to where he should stand.

"I believe you mean the devilishly handsome criminal element," Lucifer counted as he moved to the spot she indicated.

Chloe looked around then, before moving to the edge of the room and dragging over a very broken looking chair. "And this is going to represent Malcolm."

"He's seen better days," Lucifer commented. Chloe did not reply.

"And I'm going to play myself," Chloe continued. "The chick who can't figure out what I saw."

Chloe then went on to explain in detail how it had gone down. The months leading up to the shooting, she'd been following a French drug trafficker. She arrested one of his guys, and he was gonna flip but he didn't and the only cop who spoke to him had been Malcom.

"I can see why you think this one's shady, Detective," Lucifer said. "Personally I never trust a wooden chair. The shoddy paint job alone just screams snitch."

Chloe almost smiled, but managed to hold it off as she continued her story.

"One night I tracked Malcolm here," Chloe said. "I snuck in through the side door and I hid behind this glass." She had walked a bit while talking and was now standing on his other side pointing toward a door with a glass window in it. "It looked like they were making a deal. Malcolm was holding cash."

"Hold on," Lucifer said, as he got some cash out of his jacket to really get into character. "Should I hand it to the chair then?"

"I wasn't sure if it was a bribe or not," Chloe continued, ignoring him again. "I leaned forward to try and hear. That's when he saw me, but he didn't react. And that's when the shot went off. After that bullets flew everywhere and when it stopped everyone was dead but Malcolm."

"Doesn't make sense," Lucifer said once he'd digested her story.

"How so?"

"Aoudi would have no desire to kill Malcolm," Lucifer explained. "If there's one thing the Devil knows its desire. I mean if Malcolm were corrupt he'd be the drug trafficker's golden goose. It would be quite dumb to shoot him." He paused then added. "Did you actually see who fired that first shot? Because if it can't have been Aoudi and it wasn't Malcolm…"

"Then someone else was there!" Chloe said, with great energy. "Oh why didn't I notice that before."

"That's what you have me for, Detective," Lucifer said, feeling quite happy that he was able to help after all.

But Chloe's excitement didn't last long. "But the cops searched this place high and low."

"Doesn't mean someone didn't slip by them," Lucifer replied.

"They would have needed an exit," Chloe said, once again hopeful. "But all the obvious exits were covered. I would have seen them…"

"Unless there was a non-obvious one," Lucifer pitched in though he was sure now she had it well in hand without him.

"Remember at that auction," Chloe said. "Grant escaped through a secret door."

"Oh yes our mysterious shooter could have had one of those as well," Lucifer grinned at her. "Good job, Detective."

"Don't congratulate me yet," Chloe sighed. "It's just a theory unless we actually find something."

They spread out, looking for parts of walls or floors that didn't fit, dust that had been scraped away or anything else to indicate something hidden.

"It's no use," Chloe groaned hours later. "And my feet are so tired I'm considering sitting on the Malcolm chair."

"Best I test it first, Detective," Lucifer offered. "He doesn't look very sturdy, might collapse on you."

"I doubt very much sitting on that will risk your new mortality," Chloe chuckled.

"A Devil can hope," Lucifer replied, jokingly before walking over and sitting down.

It was most definitely the worst thing he'd ever sat on, and Lucifer had some rather impressive things to compare it to.

"Best not, Detective," Lucifer said. "Sore feet are preferable. I think I shall have to throw out these pants."

"There's really nothing else to try," Chloe said, sounding defeated. "I guess I was wrong."

"Well I highly doubt that," Lucifer said, with complete certainty. He stood up and his pants caught on the chair, ripping the fabric. "See now I will definitely have to throw these away. Such a shame." He pulled a little harder and it came free with a hollow creaking sound. The chair legs had moved across the floor when he'd stood up, but the sound that caused didn't make sense.

"What was that?" Chloe asked.

Lucifer moved the horrible pant ruining chair away with ease and focused on the ground beneath it, the only place they hadn't looked.

"I almost don't believe it," Chloe said, moving closer and looking down. She stood on the spot and jumped up and down, listening to the sound of a door creaking.

"Really a secret door is too much but the Devil helping you find it is no problem?" Lucifer asked. Chloe gave him a look that Lucifer couldn't decipher.

She didn't waste any time. Chloe got down and pried the side open with her knife, since there were no handles to pull on. Once open, Chloe pointed her flashlight down and they saw a set of very dusty stairs. They walked together in silence, her flashlight their only light.

"Even hell has better lighting than this," Lucifer said.

At the bottom of the stairs was a light switch which Chloe flipped. Emergency lighting came on. They reached the end of the hall and saw a ladder that led up into the street.

Turning her flashlight in the direction of every shadow and corner, Chloe stopped and leaned down. Lucifer assumed she found something.

"It's a 999 key," Chloe said surprised. "LAPD issued."

"Could it be Malcolm?" Lucifer asked, but Chloe shook her head.

"Malcolm was found with his on him," Chloe explained. "Another cop was here."

"Oh this just got way more interesting!" Lucifer said with glee.

"I was right," Chloe said.

"As I knew you were," Lucifer smiled at her.

"A cop knew this secret passage existed," Chloe said. "And chances are, whoever it was, shot Malcolm."

"Now all we need to know is who would desire Malcolm shot," Lucifer chimed in.

"Lucifer, this means we are looking for a dirty cop," Chloe said, very seriously. "And thanks to my sticking to this investigation, that dirty cop knows I'm looking for them."

"Oh right that does put a snag into things," Lucifer agreed.

"This means I have to go make nice," Chloe said, though she didn't sound happy about it. "I have to go to that wake tonight and tell them I was wrong and that Malcolm was a hero."

"A bitter pill to swallow, Detective," Lucifer said, consolingly. "Not sure I could do it."

"Oh I know you couldn't," she replied.

"Fair point," he said easily.

"Thank you," Chloe said after a moment. "I could never have figured this out without you."

"First of all, I don't believe that for a second," Lucifer began. "But you're welcome. I have to say the same. I couldn't have found my wings without you."

"It hardly makes any sense," Chloe chuckled. "But we make a good team."

"Couldn't agree more, Detective," Lucifer smiled back.

As a general rule Lucifer smiled often, but it was usually for a reason. Smirking at an enemy, playing up a joke, or just to annoy Maze. With the Detective, however, they came so easily. He had no idea why, but he liked it. He liked that he'd been of use to her today.

"I can drop you off at home," Chloe offered. "On my way to make nice."

"That would be lovely," Lucifer said. "I would offer you a ride, if, you know, you ever let me drive." She laughed, and together they headed to her car.

On the ride over the conversation was light. Lucifer never failed to be content in her company. Once he was back home again, Lucifer thought he'd sit at his piano for a while. This turned out to be a bad idea.

"Ouch," Lucifer groaned. Standing up, he decided to skip piano for the night. Instead, Lucifer headed up to his penthouse.

To his great surprise, when he arrived, there was already someone on his balcony.

"Well aren't you the very last person I expected to see?" Lucifer greeted his meddlesome brother. "What is it this time, huh? Concocted a new plan already? This I have to hear. What could you possibly think up that would get me back to hell now that my wings are ashes?"

"I don't have a plan, Luci," Amenadiel said.

Lucifer had to admit this surprised him. "What happened to 'I'll do whatever it takes to get you back to hell'?" he asked.

Continuing with his original reason for coming upstairs, Lucifer walked past his sulky looking brother and into his bedroom for a fresh pair of pants. He was out of his brother's view, but even if he hadn't been, Lucifer wouldn't have cared. He stripped off his bottoms and turned them over in his hand to see the damage. He tried to turn himself around in front of a mirror to see what exactly the Malcolm chair had done to him, but he couldn't get a good look. Oh well. At least it would be all healed before the morning.

Lucifer threw his now ruined pants aside and put on another, before exiting his room. Amenadiel was still there. Lucifer had half expected him to have already flown out the window by now.

"Okay if this isn't some half baked plan to get me back to work, what is it?" Lucifer asked, finding himself strangely curious.

He walked over to his bar and fixed himself a drink while Amenadiel failed to answer his question.

"Why can't you just cooperate?" Amenadiel groaned. "Why do you always have to be so difficult?! Father left you a job! You can't just abandon it!"

"This is the big pitch?" Lucifer asked, mockingly. "Really? I can't tell if this is your way of asking nicely or if you are just whining."

"We don't know Father's plan," Amenadiel said. "But we have to trust it."

"Trust on blind faith," Lucifer scoffed. "I think not. What has our Father ever done to earn that?"

Drink in hand Lucifer went to go relax in his chair and had totally forgotten about his ass until he'd already sat down. He got up at once. Mortality was so annoying sometimes. This hadn't even been a fun exciting risk, but rather him trying to cheer up the Detective.

"What's wrong?" Amenadiel asked.

"Just did something stupid," Lucifer replied. "Nothing new."

"But it looked like you were in pain," Amenadiel inquired.

"Why are you here?" Lucifer asked, annoyed. He wanted to take a hot shower and then join the party downstairs once Lux opened, not hang out with his overly responsible brother.

But Amenadiel wasn't listening to his question. Instead he'd run into Lucifer's bedroom. Lucifer had barely had time to be weird-ed out before Amenadiel returned holding Lucifer's ruined pants.

"How can there be blood on your clothes, Lucifer?" Amenadiel asked. "Did you sit in it?"

Lucifer sighed. "If you must know I seem to be able to bleed now," he explained.

"Since when does the Prince of Darkness bleed!?" Amenadiel asked.

"Since just last week actually," Lucifer said. "Still not sure what's causing it but there you are." He took a sip of his drink. "Definitely made working with the Detective all the more exciting."

Amenadiel was just staring at him. Then slowly a huge smile spread across his face.

"What are you grinning about?" Lucifer asked.

"I'm just realizing the gravity of what you are saying," Amenadiel said in his serious angel business voice.

"Don't exaggerate," Lucifer scoffed. "I got a splinter from a broken chair. It's hardly newsworthy."

"Even if you don't choose hell," Amenadiel stated. "All I have to do is wait for some pitiful thug to end you and right back to hell you go."

And suddenly Lucifer wasn't in a good mood anymore.

"You hadn't put that one together yet, had you, Luci," Amenadiel smirked. "You just made my millennium."

My reasoning here is that with Chloe helping with the wings from the start, they got done faster so by the time the Palmetto thing came up the wings were done and Chloe had the Devil's undivided attention. Either that or I just found it easier to separate the plotlines. Darting back and forth is way easier in a tv show than with written chapters, especially with pov switching.

Oh and I did consider not having Amenadiel find out Lucifer was vulnerable, but that spiraled way too fast! No Malcolm, means Lucifer doesn't die at the end of the season. Which means he never notices his mother escape hell, and never makes a deal with his dad to save Chloe. Which means Uriel never shows up and Lucifer never kills him and so on and so on. It just got WAY to complicated so I worked it in. Hopefully it didn't feel forced. ^_^

Sneak Peek Chapter 10

"Oh dear, someone's session went poorly." Lucifer's voice made her turn around.

Again she couldn't help but wonder if thinking of the Devil had the same effect as speaking of him. The timing was just creepy.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Chloe said, once she had walked across the room.

"I had a previous engagement," Lucifer replied. "Therapy twice in a one day. It's so LA of me."

"Whatever that means," Chloe said. "I need to talk to you." And she gestured for him to follow her away from the other officers who were investigating the scene.

"Well well what has gotten into you this morning," Lucifer said cheerfully. "Changing your mind about sex then?"

Chloe so wanted to shoot him again. Once they were out of earshot she stopped and turned to face him.