Chapter 3
Chloe turned hearing a knock on her open door. She smiled seeing Lucifer standing there watching her. "Hey, is everything okay? It sounds quiet down there."
"Yeah, Dan has left to go get packed. He has promised to meet us at the airport. Amenadiel and Itherael have returned to the Silver City to spy on Michael."
"And where's Lucas?"
"He's downstairs with Trixie. Do you need any help?"
"No, but thank you for the offer. I really don't like running away from a fight."
"I know you don't, but it will ease my mind knowing you and the Urchin are safe."
"Okay," she agreed.
They came down the stairs a short time later to find Trixie and Lucas sitting on the couch together. They both glanced up and Trixie gave them a small smile. She rose to her feet giving Lucas a hug then stepped up beside her and Lucifer. Chloe sighed handing her suitcase over to Lucifer and stepped up to Lucas as he rose to his full height. Chloe shook her head as she went up on her tiptoes to give him a hug. He clearly got his height from Lucifer.
"Thank you for everything, Lucas." She pulled back and gently caressed his cheek. "Promise me you'll stay safe."
Lucas chuckled, nodding his head. "I promise I'll stay as safe as I can, Mom." He leaned down kissing her forehead.
"Okay, I'll take what I can get." Chloe sighed and took a step backwards lacing her fingers with Trixie's hand. They all stepped outside and walked over to her cruiser. "You should come with us too, Lucas," she said, glancing over her shoulder.
"I can't, Mom. Dad and Uncle Amenadiel are going to need all the help they can get."
"Then I should stay too," Chloe said, turning her gaze toward Lucifer.
"No, Mom, you stayed the first time, and it was almost a disaster. I agree with Dad. You need to go with Trixie, Dan, and Aunt Remi to Norway."
"Fine, I'll go, but I expect to see both of you when we get home."
"I can't make any promises, since I have no idea how this all works. But I promise I'll be here if I can be," Lucas said, stepping up beside Lucifer.
"You know me, Detective. I'm not an easy one to kill," Lucifer said, giving her a small smile.
Chloe returned the smile then she and Trixie climbed into the car. She started the engine and gave Lucifer and Lucas one final look in the rear view mirror, then she pulled out onto the highway. They reached the airport and met up with Dan at the ticket counter. True to his word their tickets had already been purchased. They went through security and were boarding the plane an hour later.
~~~~
They arrived in Oslo the next morning and took a taxi from the airport to the train station. They transferred to a couple of trains, a ferry, then a bus. They arrived in Alta two days later. Everyone was exhausted from all the traveling. They checked into their hotel and Chloe marveled at the four bedroom suite. It was clear to her Lucifer spared no expense to ensure they were comfortable. She sent him a quick text before crashing on her bed letting him know they'd arrived safely at their destination.
The next seven days flew by and before long they'd done everything on Trixie's wish list. She and Trix were sipping on hot chocolate that night after a fun filled day of dog sledding. They'd decided to do that last in the hopes Trix would get to see the Northern Lights. The sky had been cloudy and depressing since they'd arrived. This night though being far from Alta's light pollution the sky was clear and the only visible light were the stars shining above their heads. Trix jumped to her feet leaving her mug on the table as she darted into the show and stared up at the green lights dancing above her head.
Chloe smiled watching her daughter then glanced over at Dan once he sat down beside her taking Trixie's abandoned chair. "It looks like she can check off the Northern Lights now."
"Yeah," Dan said, then cleared his throat. "Chlo, is she really his?"
Chloe sighed and closed her eyes. This was a conversation she'd hoped would wait until after they'd gotten back home. She opened her eyes and nodded her head. "Yeah, she's his, Dan. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I honestly thought she was yours."
Dan sighed, turning his gaze toward Trixie. "When did it happen?"
"It happened during our first separation. I was hurting because we'd only been married a year, and we were already having problems. You also made it clear you wanted to see other people while separated, and I needed to get away. I got invited to go to England for a Summer Solstice celebration, and I jumped at it. It was amazing to be surrounded by so much energy and to see the sun rise through Stonehenge's stones. That night there was a masquerade party."
"You met him there that night?"
"Yeah, I never saw his face and he never saw mine. We didn't remove our masks until we were falling into his bed. The room was pitch black. He wanted to turn on a light, but I said I wanted to remain anonymous. He liked that idea, and well, the conversation ended there. The next morning I felt guilty, even though we both agreed to seeing other people, I never planned on going through with our agreement."
"You were planning on remaining faithful even knowing I might be sleeping with someone else during our separation."
"Yeah, so I got dressed before he woke up and left, never once looking at him. I got back home, and when you told me about your fling with Alex the guilt I felt evaporated. We made love that night, and when I found out I was pregnant I assumed the baby was yours because Lucifer had used a condom. Now that I'm thinking about that night he'd only used one condom while we went several rounds unprotected."
"As did I," Dan said, smiling. He glanced over at her his face sobering. "Alex got pregnant, Chloe."
"She did?"
"Yeah, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy nine months later. She named him Daniel after me."
"Where are they, Dan? Are they still in LA?"
Dan's eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head. "No, they…ah…were killed in a car crash five years later. I still had you and Trix, but I couldn't see you guys through my grief. I had kept my son a secret from you so I couldn't lean on you."
"So, instead you pulled away from us focusing on the job instead of us. That's when you got involved with Malcolm wasn't it?"
"Yeah," Dan said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I made so many mistakes, Chloe. I destroyed our family then I met Charlotte. Well, now I know it was Lucifer's mother, but had all of that not happened I wouldn't have met the real Charlotte."
"I know," Chloe agreed.
"She was pregnant when Pierce…or rather Cain killed her."
"Oh, Dan, I'm so sorry."
Dan nodded his head taking a deep shuddering breath then released it. "If I can redeem myself enough to get to Heaven, I'll finally get to spend eternity with them."
"You will, Dan. You're a good man and a great dad to Trixie. By the way, how did you find out she was Lucifer's daughter?"
"I saw her wings this morning."
Chloe raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You did? What did they look like?"
Dan frowned as he looked at her. "Yeah, I was taking a walk this morning, and I saw Trix with Remi in the forest. It looked like Remi was giving her a lesson when suddenly Remi's massive wings spread from her back. Trix was clearly excited, and as I watched a pair of solid white wings spread from her back. I was in shock, and I wanted to wake you up to demand answers. But Trix was so happy, and I couldn't hurt her again by fighting with you."
"So, you waited until you'd calmed down and when Trix was preoccupied to ask me about it?" Chloe smiled at him then took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"Yeah, something like that. How's she handling the news?"
"She's handling it pretty well actually. She saw the shock on my face, so she knew this wasn't something I hid from her or you for that matter. I think she's very eager to learn about her Celestial side of the family." Chloe turned her blue eyes toward her daughter's happy laughter.
"And from what I saw this morning, I think Remi is the best angel to teach her."
"Yeah, Trix has learned so much from Maze on how to defend herself. I think Remi can expand on that knowledge."
"I think you're right," Dan agreed.
~~~~~
Chloe woke up three days later from a nightmare, her heart hammering in her chest. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she jumped from the bed and rushed to Trixie's room. Seeing her daughter still sleeping soundly, Chloe took a deep calming breath. What the hell was going on? She walked slowly back to her room grabbing her phone and putting on her robe before walking into the living room. She collapsed onto the couch and stared down at her phone.
"Chloe, are you all right?"
"Hey, Dan, I'm sorry if I woke you."
"No, I was already awake. I just heard someone rush past my room, and I got concerned. Is Trixie alright?" Dan stepped into the room and sat down beside her on the couch.
"Yeah, she's still sleeping. I think yesterday really wore her out. No, I just had a feeling something bad had happened. And my brain turned it into a nightmare that woke me up early this morning."
"You think something has happened to Lucas or Lucifer?"
"Yes," Chloe said as her cell phone began to ring. She took one look at the caller ID and her eyes filled with tears. "Amenadiel, what's happened?"
"Chloe, I'm so very sorry. I…"
Chloe could hear Amenadiel's voice crack as he spoke. "Amenadiel, talk to me. What happened?"
"They're gone, Chloe. I'm so sorry."
Chloe's heart shattered into a million tiny pieces inside her chest. No, he's wrong. He has to be wrong. "Who's gone, Amenadiel?"
"Both of them, Chloe," Amenadiel said, a sob catching in his throat. "Lucas died in Lucifer's arms. He was trying to protect Lucifer by jumping in front of him. Lucifer exploded with rage and charged Michael, but he was ready for him. I'm…"
Chloe quickly cut him off before he apologized again asking, "Did Michael stab Lucifer with Azrael's blade?"
"No, he didn't use Azrael's blade."
Chloe took a deep breath and released it. "Okay, then all we have to do is figure out how to get him out of Hell."
"He isn't in Hell, Chloe."
Chloe leaned forward placing her elbow on her knees and shook her head. She felt Dan's hand rub big circles on her back, and she was grateful for his comfort. "What did you mean Lucifer isn't in Hell, Amenadiel? If Michael didn't use Azrael's blade, then he didn't obliterate Lucifer's soul. Where else would he have gone? I thought he was banished from Heaven."
"Lucifer is banished from Heaven. If he attempts to return to the Silver City, he'll die. And yes, by not using Azrael's blade, Michael didn't destroy Lucifer's soul."
"But…"
"But he did something far worse to him," Amenadiel said.
"What did Michael do to him, Amenadiel?"
"He forged a dagger in the darkest part of Hell. It's purpose is to banish not just the soul, but the entire person in the darkest place in the known Universe. Michael banished Lucifer in the Shadowlands."
"I've never heard of it."
"Most mortals haven't heard of it, but it's a place one hundred times worse than Hell."
"How do we get him out of there?"
"We can't."
"Why not?"
"Chloe, the Shadowlands is nothing but never ending darkness. No light can penetrate it. And if any light enters its domain it feeds off of it growing stronger. Now that it's had a taste of Lucifer's light…"
"It won't ever want to let him go…" Chloe said, finishing his sentence.
"Exactly, and even if you found a way to reach the Shadowlands, you'd have to get past the Shadow Keeper in order to search for Lucifer."
"I will find a way, Amenadiel. I have to," Chloe vowed. "How do I find it?"
"There's no way to find it, Chloe. You have to either open a portal to it, or you get sent there."
"So, getting stabbed with Michael's new toy should do the trick then?"
"No, it won't, Chole. If Michael stabs you with his dagger it won't send you to the Shadowlands. It'll just kill you. Michael specifically designed it to send only Celestials to the Shadowlands."
"Okay, then my option B is a portal. Who can I talk to about them?"
"I only know of one mortal who can open portals. His name is John Constantine."
"We're leaving for home as soon as the next flight leaves. Will you contact John for me?"
"I'll try, but he may not help since it's for Lucifer."
"Then I'll just have to persuade him to help me reach the Shadowlands. I refuse to lose Lucifer."
