Unlike the Devil, Chloe's ex-husband seemed perfectly able to accept that the car accident was no big deal. Lucifer, on the other hand, spent the rest of the day hovering around her like some kind of delusional bodyguard. He wouldn't give her a clear reason why, but he wouldn't leave either. Chloe knew something was going on and she suspected he planned to tell her, but for some reason Lucifer was putting it off.

The next day when she could drive again, Chloe hoped that would mean ditching her Devil shadow, but no such luck. Even as she moved into her new place, guess who was there? Lucifer. Though he seemed more like the peanut gallery, never helping, but always commenting.

Chloe felt sure this all had something to do with her car accident, even if Lucifer wasn't talking. Trixie was having trouble with it as well. Chloe tried to explain to her daughter that yes, her job was dangerous, but that didn't mean mommy wasn't coming home to read her a bedtime story tonight. Chloe knew her job was hard on her daughter, but what could she do? Being a working parent was hard, and that was life.

After dropping Trixie off at school, Chloe headed to the location of their next case with Lucifer in tow. The address she had was an old karate studio. Ella was giving her usual report when Lucifer beat her to the punch with the victim's name. Wesley, was a retired actor who, it seemed, had a fan in the Devil. Chloe would never understand the action movie genre. A bunch of people pretending to punch each other didn't count as entertainment in her books.

The victim had been killed with his own award and none of his valuables were taken. This wasn't a robbery. Chloe tried to continue her police work while Lucifer went on about how the antagonist from the movies must have been the killer. By far the worst part was when the Devil tried to take a selfie with the body. That was it for Chloe. She moved away to do her job and hoped for once that Lucifer would let her have a moment to herself. She was actually a little surprised when it worked.

By the time they finished up at the crime scene Lucifer still hadn't returned, so Chloe headed back to the precinct without him. It was all rather strange. After so long refusing to leave he was suddenly just gone. Then again, this is kinda how Chloe had always expected their partnership to end. He was, after all, an immortal angel and only vacationing here on earth. Chloe fully expected him to just leave one day without explanation.

Today was not that day. Chloe hadn't been back at the precinct for more than twenty minutes when Lucifer made an appearance.

"We need to talk," Lucifer said, the moment he appeared.

"Yeah, I know. Where did you go?" Chloe asked.

"Doesn't matter," Lucifer replied. "You are in danger, Detective."

"How many times do I have to tell you that it was an accident," Chloe sighed.

"But it wasn't," Lucifer said in a small voice. There was something in his face that made Chloe realize more was going on. There were too many people around. She directed him into the empty interrogation room and closed the door behind him.

"Okay talk," Chloe said. "How could you possibly know that it wasn't an accident?"

"My brother is here," Lucifer said. "And before you say that you knew that already I'm not talking about Amenadiel. Uriel is here."

"Wait, you've mentioned him before," Chloe said slowly. "Something about him giving welcome speeches in heaven."

"Yeah he's done that before too," Lucifer said. "But today he's here to give me an ultimatum. I have to deliver mother or he will-"

"Or he'll what?" Chloe asked. This really didn't make any sense, but Lucifer looked so worried Chloe couldn't help feeling like this was serious.

"He's here because I broke the deal with Dad," Lucifer said. "I didn't deliver on my end and Uriel is taking back His side."

"Doesn't that mean if you don't give up your mother you'll die?" Chloe asked, but Lucifer just shook his head.

"That wasn't the deal I made," Lucifer said. "I know that's what you assumed and I didn't correct you."

"What was it then?" Chloe asked. "If not your own life, what could you have possibly been so desperate for while you were bleeding out on the floor like that?"

"Malcolm was still after you," Lucifer said, slowly as if speaking the words was hard for him. "And, well, it seemed to make sense at the time, but now..."

Chloe could see it in his eyes, what he was trying to say but she couldn't believe it. She didn't say a word, but waited for him to say it properly.

"I asked Father to protect you," Lucifer finally said after a long pause.

Chloe was speechless. She didn't even know what to think let alone feel. While lying on the ground dying this is what the Devil had wished for? It was almost flattering, but then again he'd bargained with her life without any regard for her right to decide her own fate. Chloe was also pissed!

But the expression on Lucifer's face calmed her anger. Looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but see in his face that his intentions had been good. Even that didn't change the fact that there was an angel on earth right now whose job it was to end her.

"But wait," Chloe said suddenly, remembering. "Angel's can't kill humans, so it's okay."

"Not directly, no," Lucifer said. "But Uriel's power isn't like mine or Amenideal's. He can't stop time or learn others' desires. Uriel can see and control patterns. He can move a skateboard and cause a car accident."

And now Chloe understood. Lucifer must have been worried about this ever since he first got her phone call. That's why he'd been hovering for the last couple days, but then why tell her now?

"You saw him didn't you?" Chloe asked. "That's why you are telling me this, why you disappeared from the crime scene."

Lucifer nodded. "Uriel gave me 24 hours to hand mom over or you'll die."

"Okay well there has got to be a better solution than that," Chloe replied. "I mean come on."

"I want there to be," Lucifer said. "But I just don't know what to do."

"First things first," Chloe said, trying her very best to remain calm, but internally freaking out. "We need to think this through, brainstorm. Maybe Amenadiel or Maze have ideas?"

Without missing a beat, Lucifer got out his phone and told both of them to meet him at his penthouse. Chloe decided not to argue this time when Lucifer said he was driving.

"With Uriel's powers being what they are, it's best we do things in a more unpredictable fashion," Lucifer explained as his reason for driving. "Might help mess with his pattern powers."

Less than a quarter hour later, Chloe found herself in Lucifer's penthouse with Maze, Amenadiel and the Devil. Once they'd caught the other two up on the situation, Maze's first suggestion was to turn the Goddess over to her son.

"Send your mom back to hell," Maze said in the most direct way possible.

"I'm not comfortable with a 'my life for hers' solution," Chloe pitched in.

"Oh don't worry mommy dearest won't die," Maze grinned. "She'll just spend another couple millenia in hell being tortured."

"Can't say I'm all that comfortable with that either," Chloe added. "This whole situation is insane."

"And all Lucifer's fault I might add," Maze said.

Just then Chloe had a thought. She turned to Amenadiel and said, "I usually wouldn't suggest a violent solution but I've seen you fight. Couldn't you just, you know, scare your brother into going home."

"Ah yes, excellent idea, Detective," Lucifer pitched in with great energy. "Uriel doesn't know we are working together on this! He won't listen to me, but he will listen to someone from the home team."

There was something in Amendiel's face that told Chloe this wasn't going to work. The mighty angel looked almost scared. He was at the very least nervous which was something she'd never seen in him before.

"On second thought, nevermind," Chloe spoke up.

"Oh come on," Lucifer continued speaking to his brother. "Uriel was always afraid of you. You probably won't even have to fight him. Just the sight of you will send quivers down his spine."

Chloe looked at Amenadiel again. She could see hope in his eyes but the nervousness hadn't completely faded.

"If my life is on the line here," Chloe began, speaking to Amenadiel. "I feel I have the right to ask even if Lucifer is living in denial." She paused then finished. "Amenadiel, are you vulnerable now, like Lucifer?"

"Of course he's not," Lucifer said, hopeful denial obvious in his tone.

"How did you know?" Amenadiel asked.

"Little things Lucifer has said," Chloe continued. "But mostly the look on your face right now."

"Well that's disappointing," Lucifer sighed. "What's the point of having an angelic equivalent of a nuclear weapon on your side if it's a dud."

"I still say it's time to send that bitch you call mom back to hell where she belongs," Maze pitched in again.

"Isn't there a non-violent option?" Amenadiel continued. "Like maybe hiding mom and Chloe until Uriel gives up. Just because he says that's his plan doesn't mean it's true. Uriel is always twisting things, creating traps."

"Waiting out an immortal doesn't sound like a good idea," Chloe disagreed. "Besides, I can't just disappear. What would I tell my daughter?"

"We are getting nowhere with all this talking," Maze said suddenly before getting up and walking out. Chloe had a feeling she planned to act without the group's consensus. Even if Chloe wasn't comfortable with the idea of trading her life for someone else's freedom, she couldn't help but appreciate Maze's action. Chloe didn't want to die.

"Uriel plays with patterns," Amenadiel continued. "What if we all take turns watching over Chloe and changing her patterns?"

"There is no guarantee that that will work!" Lucifer shot back.

"It's all we have right now," Amenadiel replied.

And then everyone was looking at Chloe. It made sense. Her life was on the line and they wanted to know what she thought. It made sense, but Chloe was feeling all together overwhelmed.

"He can't hurt me directly, right?" Chloe asked. The angels nodded. Chloe had never believed in fate or bad luck her whole life. Even now she still felt the same. This wasn't about bad luck or fate; this was about Lucifer's deal and how his brother was choosing to interpret it.

"Then I say we just wait and see how it goes," Chloe replied. "Like Amenadiel said."

Lucifer was shaking his head. He looked distressed. His eyes were almost wild. "Maybe we can beat his patterns once or twice," Lucifer said. "But not forever."

"There isn't another option," Chloe told him, calmly. She wasn't actually calm, but she was faking it a whole lot better than the Devil was right now.

She thought about going back to the precinct to work on her case, but then she remembered she had to do things differently than her usual patterns.

"I'm gonna call Dan and get him to take over my case," Chloe said. "I'll tell him I'm taking some personal time off. That should be off pattern enough for now."

"I'll take first watch," Amenadiel offered.

"I might be able to bleed but at least I'm still strong," Lucifer snapped at his brother. "Just how weak are you now, brother? Are you even any use to her?"

"Still strong enough to kick your ass," Amenadiel replied, and suddenly the two brothers were fighting again. Chloe wanted to yell at them.

Idiots! She had twenty-four hours to live and they were exchanging punches. And then her anger returned in full force. Her anger at Lucifer for putting her life on the line without even telling her, let alone consulting her! Sometimes she wished she didn't know anything about celestials. It was like the more she knew the less control she had over her life! Of course, that wasn't actually true. Even if she was oblivious to Uriel's being here it wouldn't have put her in any less danger.

Just by watching Amenadiel and Lucifer fight she could see how much weaker Amenadiel was now. Whereas before it had been obvious that Lucifer was taking more damage this time they both looked equally beat up.

Moving away from the squabling brothers, Chloe made the call to get her out of work for the day, and then she left. Rather than asking Lucifer to drive her she called a cab. There was still a day before the patterns were going to come for her. She could at least wait to worry until then, right?

It's like feast or famine with me huh. I give you all the chapters so far and then I just disappear. ^_^ I kinda fell out of the Lucifer head space for a while there. Actually started re-watching Merlin and inspiration struck. My new Merlin story is currently three chapters. Anyway... with the new season coming out Friday I should be able to get back in with Lucifer headspace and start uploading this story again, but we'll see.

Guest Review:
I just discovered your story and binge-read it quickly. It is quite good, but I am however disappointed by the fact that you fear changing the plot. The whole premise of the story is Chloe knowing what Lucifer is, and this considerably changes how some events would have happened. Let us take Season Three as an example, since that is the one you brought up. Cain would still be interrested in dying, however, both Chloe and Lucifer would know who he is. Most of Chloe's romantic interactions with Pierce were the result of her frustration with Lucifer speaking about wings, Cain, and the Sinnerman and wanting someone who wouldn't be deluded and making everything about himself. I highly doubt a criminal mastermind / biblical murderer would be her choice in that case. I am not even sure about how the Uriel debacle would take place this time.

Anyways, I hope you will think this through. You are a writer, and this is fiction. Don't be afraid to make changes. You are in control, not the scenario of the sceries. Go on. This world is your oyster.

My Reply:
I don't fear changing the plot. I fear bad continuity and writing the characters out of character. I thought about never having Amendiel learn Lucifer is vulnerable in season one, but then as I planned the fall out I realized that would mean Amenadiel never falls or becomes part of team Lucifer. It would have basically cut him out of the story which I didn't want. Other plot moments in season 1 I just felt logically wouldn't change much from such a small difference. Later seasons had more celestial elements in it that would have changed things more if Chloe knew. And yes since Chloe knows about Cain from the start there would be no romantic anything between them. That is what I already said in the author's note previously. Overall I am trying to think about this logically, to make changes that feel in character and could very well have happened in the show.

Sneak Peek Chapter 31

"Nobody bloody knows because the selfish bastard won't just tell us!" Lucifer yelled up at the heavens. "I'm sick of it!"

His mother tried to console him then. Calling him Lightbringer and Morningstar. Lucifer paid her no mind, until she started talking about Uriel as a child. He'd always been stubborn and Mother believed Uriel would not give up until he had her or the Detective.

"I refuse to believe that," Lucifer told her. "There is always another way."

"If anyone can find it," the Goddess replied. "It's you."

Lucifer couldn't explain what his mother's faith meant to him. It felt warm. She believed he had what it took to solve this problem and that gave Lucifer strength.

It came down to this. Lucifer had to meet with Uriel. Best to do it now, before the time's up. That way if it didn't work, Lucifer would still have time to come up with something else. This would work, because Lucifer couldn't lose Chloe and he was just starting to get to know his mother again.