No matter how genuinely worried Chloe could tell Lucifer was about his mother's escape from Hell, she really couldn't bring herself to dwell on it. Malcolm had been a real threat. A dirty cop straight from hell was a problem, but a mother on the loose just didn't strike the same chord with Chloe, even if she was a Goddess. After all, she'd heard Lucifer complain and complain about his father from the day she'd met him, but never once had he mentioned his mother. How bad could she really be?

Chloe had a feeling Lucifer and Amenadiel were working on finding their mother, though she hadn't a clue what that might involve. She wasn't even totally sure why Lucifer had forgiven his brother for trying to kill him. From what she could gather it seemed like the whole conversation had gone down while time had been frozen. Still, it must have been one hell of a conversation for Amenadiel to switch sides like that.

Chloe had long since realized celestials worked outside the world she knew. Whether she liked it or not, becoming a believer meant her rules had changed. Even if Amenadiel hadn't switched sides, there was nothing any law enforcement on earth could do to stop him. Okay, yes, there were those two knives of Maze's but that was literally it, and besides he seemed to have survived being stabbed with one of those just fine. She was also still trying to wrap her brain around the idea that Lucifer had actually died when Malcolm shot him, which meant the only reason he was still walking the earth was because he'd bargained with his father for his life. Then again, maybe it made sense if you put it into the context of an all powerful father. If you knew your father was always watching you, then wouldn't he always be your last resort in tough times? If she considered that, Chloe just couldn't imagine a parent with that much power not finding some way to do more to help a child in need. You can bet if Chloe was all powerful Trixie would never be in a position to get shot in the chest.

It was because of thoughts like these that Chloe had to remind herself that despite their sometimes very human behaviour, these beings weren't human. They had been alive since the beginning of time and would continue to be alive long into the future. Chloe's small human perspective couldn't hope to understand how Lucifer's family thought. She couldn't even really figure Lucifer out, despite spending so much time with him. In the end, Chloe Decker was just a person, and she didn't have the power to affect such beings. They were keeping her in the loop for now, but she knew that was all Lucifer's doing.

Still even that was confusing. Why was the Devil so fixated on her? They were friends, that she knew, but was it normal for him to stand between a friend and a gun? Even if Lucifer was treating his actions during Trixie's kidnapping as nothing special, the guy had literally died for her. Yeah, sure, he'd been hitting on her non-stop since the day they'd met, but that hardly explained anything. Lucifer flirted with most everyone. Lucifer had admitted that he didn't have a lot of experience with friendship. Maybe he valued it more than he realized. Either way she didn't think she'd ever get an answer.

What she could ask about though was Lucifer's mother. Chloe's calmer mind had found time to ponder things she'd been too exhausted to ask when Lucifer had initially told her about his mother's escape. Things like, what did the Goddess of all Creation look like? Lucifer was very obviously a physical being, so did that mean his parents were too? Had the goddess's physical form been transported up from hell somehow? Chloe could imagine simply wanting to leave hell was enough motivation to explain her reason for escaping, though she suspected there was more to it. From what Lucifer had said, it sounded like she was only down in hell in the first place because of a fight with God, aka her husband. Even if her motives for escaping were clear, Chloe couldn't understand why Lucifer was so sure his mom would come to LA unless it was about seeing her kids. After all, earth was rather large, and she could have chosen to hide anywhere on it to escape her ex.

No matter how many times Chloe went over it in her head, she was still sticking to her gut instinct on this one. Lucifer's mother was here to make amends with her children. It was the only thing that made sense, no matter how much Lucifer insisted she wanted to kill him.

"Thousands of years in hell with me as her warden," Lucifer reminded Chloe yet again.

"Mother's love their children unconditionally," Chloe repeated with a sigh.

"Maybe human mother's do," Lucifer argued. "But trust me Goddesses are different. Murderously different, I'm afraid."

Chloe stopped walking. The two of them were headed to a crime scene together, but maybe another moment before they reached the other officers would give Chloe a chance to satisfy her curiosity.

"How exactly is she going to come to earth?" Chloe asked.

"In Hell she didn't have a physical form," Lucifer answered. "Which means her energy will need to possess a recently deceased human once she lands."

"Okay, so no real physical form then," Chloe replied, trying hard not to picture a corpse walking around, zombie style.

"Correct, Detective," Lucifer replied.

"Was she really in hell because your father put her there?" Chloe asked next.

"Yes, though I don't know the specifics," Lucifer answered. "I had already been running hell for thousands of years by the time she joined the ranks of the damned. Messy divorce maybe, though I did hear rumors about her causing floods and plagues just to piss Dad off. In human terms she trashed her ex's car and he threw her out of the house for it."

"Floods and plagues?" Chloe asked, feeling a little bit less confident about her belief that Lucifer's mother wasn't here to hurt anyone.

"You know the biblical ones," Lucifer said. "Locus and all that. Dad was always busy tinkering with his humanity project so Mom went and smashed it up for him. Typical family spat stuff really."

"Sounds like lack of emotional maturity runs in the family," Chloe replied, trying not to be nervous about this new information, and failing.

"Don't look so worried, Detective. That hardly matters now, even in your slower time here on earth that was thousands of years ago," Lucifer sighed.

"Slower time," Chloe said thoughtfully. Then she remembered what Lucifer had said when he was explaining about Malcolm a while back. "You mean how seconds on earth can be years in hell?"

"Excellent memory, Detective," Lucifer grinned. "What are we doing just standing here, hmm? Isn't there a crime scene waiting for us?"

"Why have you never talked about your mother before?" Chloe asked, ignoring his question. "When you don't seem to have trouble talking about your father?"

Lucifer sighed. "You sound like Dr. Linda."

"Oh, and how did that go?" Chloe asked.

"Well I told her the story of Mom and Dad," Lucifer said. "And she took it as a metaphor, like she always does."

"Still, you said she helps you," Chloe continued.

"She does," Lucifer said. "I just wish I could talk to her the way I talk to you."

"So why haven't you told her?" Chloe asked.

"Well, I don't have my wings anymore, do I?" Lucifer answered. "And I can't shoot myself to prove it now like I could before, which leaves only the one option."

"Your face?" Chloe inquired.

"And besides that, who knows if it's really what she wants," Lucifer continued. "At least you were trying to figure it out. Maybe if the doctor asked, I'd show her."

"Wouldn't matter," Chloe replied. "Even if she asked you she can't have any idea what she's actually asking, until after she gets an answer.

"You could talk to her then," Lucifer offered cheerfully.

"Oh yeah, great idea," Chloe said, putting as much sarcasm into her voice as she could muster. "Then a licensed shrink will think I'm insane and I'll lose my job."

"I take it that's a no then?" Lucifer inquired.

Chloe just rolled her eyes at him and started moving again.

"How's looking for your mother going?" Chloe asked once they both started walking.

"Not so good," Lucifer replied. "Amenadiel and I checked every recently deceased and brought back to life human we could find, and nothing."

"You know they say when you stop looking for something is when you are most likely to find it," Chloe chuckled.

"Yes, well in this case I can't afford to do that," Lucifer replied. "I need to find her before the bodies start piling up."

It was then that they turned and the crime scene came into view. The deceased woman was on the mary-go-round with two spikes of metal in her forehead made to look like horns.

"See, Detective!" Lucifer said. "This is why we need to find her. This poor woman is clearly only dead because I have failed to recapture my mother."

"We don't know that Lucifer," Chloe said almost automatically, though she had to admit knowing what she knew she could understand why he had jumped to such a conclusion. "Let's just see where the evidence takes us without leaping to any celestial conclusions, shall we?"

Lucifer gestured very dramatically to the dead body and said, "Devil horns," then he gestured to himself and added, "Actual Devil, not much of a leap!"

Chloe shhed him as they got within earshot of other officers. She knew she could just tell them she was playing along if anyone ever asked her why she took Lucifer seriously, but Chloe would still rather avoid the whole conversation if possible.

She was briefed by one an officer at the scene and learned the victim was a stand-in actress for a show her daughter watched called 'Leave it to Leslie'. After she filled Lucifer in on the details, they walked up to the forensic scientist who was examining the body. Her name was Ella Lopez, and she was a new member of the LAPD forensics team. Chloe didn't know her well yet but she seemed to be a happy, huggy type person, and most importantly she was very good at her job. Ella figured out right away how the victim had died, that the body had been moved, and that the devil horns were added postmortem.

Lucifer's theory was looking less and less ridiculous as Ella filled Chloe in on the details. Despite the five inches of metal in the victim's skull, the victim - Julian - actually died of strangulation, meaning the horns really were a message. Chloe just hoped they weren't a message for the Devil.

Chloe would follow the evidence. It hadn't led her astray so far. Turning to say something to Lucifer, Chloe noticed him talking to Ella a ways away. Rather than turn back, Chloe watched as Lucifer let Ella hug him. The Devil seemed quite startled at being hugged so casually. Chloe almost chuckled at his uncomfortable motions. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that Lucifer wasn't human. Even though she could remember perfectly all the times she'd witnessed him being so obviously more than human, so obviously dangerous, Chloe just couldn't find those feelings in her heart when she watched the Devil receive an awkward hug from a smiling stranger.

"She thinks I'm a method actor," Lucifer grumbled, when he reappeared suddenly at her side a few moments later.

"Who does?" Chloe asked.

"Miss Lopez," Lucifer explained.

Chloe shrugged in agreement. "A reasonable conclusion based on your behaviour," she said.

"Oh alright Detective fair enough, but why a method actor?" Lucifer whined.

"Hey, I thought you were just the delusional son of a plumber hiding behind an assumed identity to protect himself emotionally," Chloe replied. "How is that better than method actor?"

"I would prefer it if people just took my words at face value," Lucifer explained.

"No one in their right mind would believe what you say without some pretty powerful proof," Chloe reminded him.

Lucifer continued to grumble, but Chloe wasn't really listening anymore. She was thinking aloud about the case. "With so many reporters around Julian's boss, we'll have to schedule an appointment," Chloe said. "So let's start with the victim's landlord."

"I don't suppose you'd let me drive again?" Lucifer asked hopefully. Chloe just laughed.

"I would, but see there's this thing where I want to live to see tomorrow," Chloe replied.

"I'd never put your life at risk, Detective," Lucifer said. "My driving is perfectly safe."

"Safe drivers know that speed limits aren't merely suggestions," Chloe reminded him.

"Superhuman reflexes," Lucifer said, pointing to himself as he spoke.

"Designated driver, no argument," Chloe replied pointing to herself before moving off in the direction of her car. Lucifer followed, getting in the car, but looking his usual kind of disappointed by being in the passenger side. They were about three blocks closer to their destination when Lucifer started talking again.

"Construction on my penthouse is going rather well, by the way," Lucifer said. "I'll admit throwing my brother into the bar was rather foolish of me - should have thrown him out the window, but no matter - almost fixed now."

"That's great," Chloe replied automatically. He didn't stop talking at her reply, but rather went on in detail about the inconveniences of getting his penthouse fixed after the fight with his brother that trashed the place. The Devil really did love the sound of his own voice.

"Maze still isn't back either," Lucifer was saying as Chloe parked the car outside the landlord's place. The topic had switched rather suddenly from construction to demons. "And I'm starting to worry she's working with mom, maybe she even helped mom escape hell."

"You got all that from her just not being nearby for a couple days?" Chloe asked.

"Well yes," Lucifer said. "She literally exists to come running when I need her, and I need her so where is she?"

"Wow, narcissistic much!" Chloe chuckled.

"It's not what you're thinking," Lucifer sighed. "She's like my right hand."

"Ew," Chloe said.

"Once again, you are missing the point, Detective," Lucifer sighed. "Since fire and brimstone she's been on my side. That's just how it is."

"Look around," Chloe told him calmly. "Does this look like fire and brimstone?" He didn't seem to have any snappy comeback for that, so she went on. "Time on earth has changed you, right? Made you vulnerable. So maybe it has changed Maze too."

Lucifer seemed to consider that for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Can't picture it.

Chloe sighed. "Let's just go do our job, huh?"

Lucifer followed behind her as they walked up to the house. The lawn was covered in bright pink flamingos. Chloe had never seen so many on one property before. Apart from that the house was rather unremarkable, with standard siding and a dark brown wooden front door. Chloe knocked and a middle aged slightly overweight woman with red hair opened it.

Chloe introduced herself as LAPD and made sure she was speaking with the correct person before beginning the interview. They went into the victim's suit and searched, all the while asking the landlord questions. The landlord pointed the finger at Julian's boss Amy, mentioning her drug habit.

"The show kept it out of the news," the landlord was saying. "They even hid her OD a couple days ago. Hospital was barely able to start her heart again."

"Hold on," Lucifer, said with an alertness he'd failed to show up till now. "You're saying Amy died then came back to life and then an innocent girl was found with devil horns shoved into her skull?"

Before the landlord even opened her mouth to confirm his story, Chloe knew exactly what Lucifer was thinking. He was thinking that Amy, the actress who starred in 'Leave it to Leslie' was currently housing his mother's goddess energy based only on the fact that she'd almost died. Which, sure was possible, but still statistically unlikely given the number of people who die every day around the world.

Apart from Lucifer's new conclusion, they didn't get much information from the victim's rental suite. Chloe did find a big wad of cash, which meant the next step was looking into Julian's finances. Just good solid police work, not goddess possession.

"Don't even say it," Chloe began the moment they were out of the house and back on the lawn covered in bright pink flamingos.

"Say what?"

"That you think Amy is your mom," Chloe sighed.

"Well she very likely is," Lucifer agreed. "And that means mom killed Julian to send me a message just like I said."

"It means we have more information than we did before," Chloe corrected. "That's all."

Lucifer mumbled something about how he didn't agree but got into her car all the same. Sometimes it still astonished her that a being with an infinite amount of time to mature had failed so spectacularly to do so.

"I should probably tell Amenadiel," Lucifer was saying as she drove. "That I found mom, I mean."

"You haven't found her," Chloe sighed. "You just have another person to check for... goddess energy. How do you even do that, anyway?"

"It's more about confronting the recently almost departed to see how they react," Lucifer replied. "I'm sure mom would reveal herself. She wouldn't exactly know how to act like a human."

Chloe couldn't help but chuckle. "Really that's been your plan?" she asked. "Looking for your mom by confronting humans and just asking them?"

"Well, do you have a better plan?" Lucifer replied.

Chloe took the opportunity of a red light, to turn and glare at Lucifer. Of course, she didn't have a better plan to find a goddess! She was just a person while he was the Devil! Finding human killers was her thing, crazy impossible celestial bullshit was his!

"Anyway," Lucifer said, as she looked back towards the road. "Where are we headed next, Detective?"

"I wanna see what Dan has come up with," Chloe replied. "He's been interviewing the crew for 'Leave it to Leslie.'"

Aww thank you guys so much! You spoiled me rotten with reviews and I love you all! 😍A special thank you to 'Zon Yokai Blade of the Spirits' for making me realize I needed to have more of what the characters were thinking to flesh out the chapters. I actually added like 800 words of Chloe thinking to this chapter after reading that and I think it helped quite alot!

Feedback is very important to me because it's how I improve as a writer. I have never taken any writing courses. I didn't take English in college. Everything I know about writing I know from just writing ALOT and listening to my readers. Sorry if I was a little whiny before. Hugs.

Sneak Peek Chapter 23

"Then explain to me how it's Chloe's fault," Linda inquired next.

"I never said it was her fault," Lucifer replied.

"But you implied it didn't you?" Linda asked. "By saying you wouldn't be in his mess if it wasn't for her."

"Yes and that's true, but I made the decision," Lucifer replied. "She never asked me to."

"What decision?" Linda asked. "What favour did your father grant you?"

"I-" Lucifer began. "I asked-"

But he didn't know how to say it outloud. It had all been so crystal clear at the moment. Lucifer could remember it perfectly. Lying on the ground, with blood pooling around him wishing for only one thing in all of creation. At the time it had made sense, but now he'd wished he'd found another way.