Lux was jumping when Chloe and Lucifer arrived. The music was loud and throbbing, and people were dancing throughout the club. They leapt out of the limo and headed inside. Their arrival was barely noticed by most of the guests, which was fine with them. They headed up to the penthouse so that Chloe could change into something more appropriate for a wedding reception.

As Chloe changed out of her wedding dress, Lucifer put his hands on her waist and pulled her close. Their lips met. When they pulled apart, he murmured, "Hello, wife."

She smiled and replied, "Hello, husband." Then she gently but firmly stopped his hands from roaming her half-clad body. "Later," she said. "The honeymoon starts after the party's over."

He pretended to pout but she knew he understood. She finished dressing and freshened her makeup. Then they both headed down to the party.

#

Eddie sat with Trixie in a corner table and they watched everybody get drunk and dance to old people music. He saw Lucifer and Trixie's mom come out of an elevator. Trixie's mom had changed into a fancy dress, kind of like his mom would have worn at one of his dad's work parties. They went around and talked with the various guests, including the ones still in their bizarre cosplay outfits.

Trixie went up to the bar and said something to the bartender, and came back with two tall glasses of champagne. He smiled at her. "No problem getting a drink when your parents own the bar," he said.

"Yeah, but Mom warned me that if we get drunk then it's on us. So let's not drink too much, okay?"

"Fine by me. I've never had champagne, anyway."

"Oh, it can be really good." Trixie sipped hers and made a face. "This champagne is okay, I guess. It's not as good as what I had a couple of weeks ago, at the engagement party."

"What kind is it?"

"I don't know. Let me go ask." She went back to the bar and spoke with the bartender. Then she came back and said, "He says it's called 'Perrier-Jouët'."

"I think it tastes really good," Eddie said.

"It is good," Trixie replied. "But it's not Krug." She sighed. "Lucifer warned me this was going to happen. Anyway, what do you taste?"

"Taste? I mean, it tastes good. But I don't know how to describe it. What do you taste?"

"Oh, I taste apricot or peach, and some lemon. Lots of fruit. Which is good, but there's not much more than that. The Krug had these layers of flavor, which were all amazing."

"Wow, you really know your stuff. I'm impressed!"

She laughed. "Don't be. This is only the second kind of champagne I've ever had."

"Well, you sound like some kind of champagne expert to me."

Chloe and Lucifer stopped by. "I see you found the champagne, Monkey," Chloe said.

"Mom, I remember what you said. Eddie and I won't drink too much, I promise."

Chloe looked at Eddie. "Your mother made me promise I'd look out for you tonight, Eddie." She smiled. "I know your dad has been sneaking you beer. But be careful—champagne has more alcohol in it than beer does. It can go to your head." She paused. "If you get drunk tonight, then you and I are going to have words. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "Trixie is right. We won't overdo it. I promise."

"Okay then." They moved on to the next table.

With all the music, they could barely hear themselves talk. Trixie leaned over and said, "Wanna go someplace that's quieter?"

He nodded. "Absolutely."

"Okay, grab your champagne and follow me."

They got up from their table and Trixie led him to the same elevator from which her parents had emerged about a half-hour ago. The doors opened and they got inside.

#

Ella and Jerry were enjoying themselves. They'd done a little dancing and she had introduced him to some of the people she worked with at the LAPD. The police folks were in a great mood—they always appreciated a trip to Lux, especially when the drinks were free. Ella hoped they didn't plan on driving themselves home.

Now they were comfortably resting at a table, and sipping their drinks. From time to time their eyes would meet, and time would do that thing again. Then they would laugh and shake their heads. They had stopped commenting on it, though, maybe because they'd gotten used to it—or maybe because they hadn't gotten used to it, but talking about it wasn't going to change anything. The eyes meeting and time stopping were now just a part of who they were.

Ella hoped it would never, ever, go away.

"I'm really enjoying not being a bartender tonight," Jerry said. He took another sip of his TNT. "It's nice to be the one being waited on, you know?"

"I guess," Ella said. "I've never done the waitress or bartender gigs. But I'm enjoying just being here with you."

He smiled and their eyes held again. After a while he found his voice and said, "Surely you must have done something other than forensic science. I mean, didn't you have any other jobs? Fast food? Something like that?"

"Honestly, before I entered law enforcement, I made a living gambling in Vegas. I did a lot of card counting before I got blacklisted by the casinos. Before that, I used to steal cars, though that was mostly for fun, not profit."

"You're joking, right?"

"No. Not at all. My family background was not really the best, as far as training me for the right side of the law." She paused. "You should know that about me, Jerry. I mean, that's not who I am now. But it's who I was for a long time. I had a tough childhood in Detroit."

"Wow, I had no idea!"

"And now that you do …?"

He shrugged. "Your past is your past. I mean, it obviously influenced who you are now, but I know it's not who you are any longer." He thought for a second or two, and then took a big swig from his drink. "You know I was in the Army, right? I was in the 'Southwest Asia Area of Operations,' as they called it. You know: Iraq, Afghanistan. The Sandbox. It wasn't fun. Not at all." He paused. "I saw a lot of my friends die, mostly killed by IEDs. And I killed a lot of people, Ella. Sure it was mostly people who were trying to kill me but, honestly, sometimes it was hard to tell who was who. They call it 'the fog of war,' but what it means is that, when the bullets are whizzing by your head, all you can do is duck and fire back—without knowing exactly who you are shooting at."

"Jerry, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Ella. I volunteered to join. Nobody forced me." He looked at her in such a way that time did not stop. "But sometimes I still have nightmares about it."

She put her hand on his. "If we're being completely honest about ourselves, I need to tell you about Rae-Rae."

"Rae-Rae?"

"Yeah, for most of my life I've been visited by Rae-Rae. Since I was eight. She was the ghost that haunted me. Only she was nice, and we became friends."

Jerry just looked at her. "And …?"

"And I saw a bunch of therapists who prescribed a lot of drugs. And I spent some time in an institution. All the therapists, all the psychiatric doctors, they all tried to convince me that Rae-Rae wasn't real. Eventually, I agreed with them, just to get out of there." She paused and looked at him in such a way that time did not stop. "But I always knew she was real."

"So you see ghosts?"

Ella shook her head. "No. But I do see a ghost. The same one, Rae-Rae." She sipped her Tequila Sunrise. "And here's the thing. Recently, I was told that others see her too. She's as real to them as she is to me. But to them, she's not a ghost. She's … something else."

"Wow. I, uh … I don't know what to say."

"Well, you needed to know. I'd understand if you thought I was crazy and didn't want to see me anymore. But if that's the case, please tell me now, tonight. Because I don't want you to lead me on."

"Ella … I don't know how to react, but I know I don't want to end things with you. It's like you're full of these surprises, but they don't matter to me because they don't change the way I see you, you know? They don't change who you are." He paused. "And I really like who you are."

"So … we're good?"

Jerry leaned over and kissed her gently. "We're good. I think we're always going to be good."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if this is the weirdest it's ever going to get, then everything from here on out is going to be easy."

"Well … don't count on it. I may have a few more surprises tucked away."

"I'll take that chance."

#

Maze and Eve kept hopping between dance floor and the bar. "More dance fuel, dude!" Maze called to the bartender, who obliged by lining up several shots for her.

Eve saw Chloe and Lucifer wandering between tables and she left Maze in order to hug Chloe. She said "Congratulations to you two! Mazel tov!"

Chloe hugged her back. "Thank you so much, Eve," she said.

The Eve hugged Lucifer, and then she hugged them both together, a threesome of love and joy. "I'm so very happy for you," she said. And she was! Although there was always going to be a part of her that yearned for Lucifer's love and affection, she understood that their time to be together had passed. Now it was Chloe's time, and she wished them both well. She had Maze now, and that was more than enough to keep her engaged with the modern world in which she had decided to join.

"Did you know that Michael was in the church, watching you get married?" she asked. She hoped that talking about Michael wouldn't sour Luce's mood, but she also felt he needed to know.

Chloe frowned but said nothing. Lucifer's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Oh, really?" he said. "How interesting! Tell me more, Eve."

"Well, he kind of slipped in at the last minute, and then sat next to the Bishop and the Priest in the last pew. When the vows were done, he left as silently as he came."

"And did he say anything? Anything at all?"

"Not to me. And not to Maze either. The only people he could have spoken with were the two clergymen."

"And you didn't see him speak or interact with any of my siblings?"

Eve shook her head. "Nope. He never got close to them. It was in and out. I think Maze was the only person to see him, because everybody else was looking up at the altar."

Lucifer nodded. "Well, I guess we'll go with 'no harm, no foul' for my dear brother. At least he's not here tonight, spoiling our wedding party."

"But we know he's somewhere nearby, skulking about," Chloe said. "Probably up to no good, as usual."

"Perhaps, m'dear. Perhaps you're right. But I refuse to get upset about him on our wedding night. No. Tonight is for celebration!"

He smiled at Chloe. "And tonight, our life together starts. I'm not going to let him ruin our night."

Maze came up holding an armful of shot glasses, each filled with something different. She handed one to each of them, and then said, "Congratulations! Let's party!" After they'd downed their shots, she took Eve by the arm and pulled her back on the dance floor.

Chloe and Lucifer looked at each other, then they shrugged. After all, it was a party. It was their wedding party! They followed Eve and Maze onto the dance floor.

#

Bishop Hoffman parked his car and walked up to the front door of the nightclub—Lux, it was called. A man at the door stopped him, and said, "Sorry, Father, private party tonight."

"I understand, my son," he said. "But I was invited." He gave his name.

"Sorry, don't see your name on the list."

"But I was invited by Penelope Decker, the mother of the bride."

"Decker, huh? Okay, hold on for a sec." He spoke into some type of microphone. "We have a Catholic priest out front who says he was invited by the boss's mother. … Yeah, better check with her." He looked at Hoffman. "Be with you in moment, Father."

After about thirty seconds, the man put his hand up to his ear. Hoffman couldn't hear what was being said, but it must have been good news, because the doorman opened the front door and said, "Welcome to Lux, Father. I hope you have a nice evening."

He entered the nightclub gingerly, bright lights assaulting him from all directions while loud music throbbed in his head and chest. He estimated there were about thirty people in the club, including about a dozen of the costumed guests from the wedding.

He looked around, disoriented by the lights and the sound and the dancers, until he spotted Penelope Decker, sitting by herself at a table, smiling at nothing in particular. He decided to join her.

"Hello Ms. Decker," he said. "I hope you won't mind if I join you."

"Oh, not at all, Bishop Hoffman! Please do. Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, I think a nice whiskey might be in order," he replied.

He watched at she waved at the bartender, who stopped what he was doing and came to the table. "May I help you?" he said.

"My friend, here, Bishop Hoffman, would like a whiskey," she said.

The bartender lifted his eyebrow in a question. Hoffman answered the unspoken question. "Jameson, please. Neat."

"I can do that, Father," he said. "But we also have Redbreast, if you'd like."

Hoffman was impressed. He'd heard of Redbreast, but never had it before. It was beyond topshelf. "The Redbreast sounds wonderful, thank you."

The bartender looked at Penelope. "For a friend of the family, I'll break out Lucifer's private stock: Redbreast 21 Year. It's a party, right?"

"Thank you, Arnold," Penelope said. "I'm sure Bishop Hoffman will enjoy it."

Arnold said, "Oh, I'm sure he will, as well. We normally sell it for $90 a shot—when Lucifer will let me sell it." Then he departed to get Hoffman's drink.

"So Bishop," Penelope began. "What did you think of the ceremony?"

"I thought it was moving and fitting. Frankly, I was impressed."

Penelope smiled. "Thank you for saying that. Amenadiel did a great job! And thank you for letting my daughter have use of the church. I wanted her to have a nice wedding, and you obliged."

"It was my pleasure, Ms. Decker."

"Oh, please call me Penelope."

"Very well, Penelope. And I'll ask you to call me Johannes."

"Johannes Hoffman. That sounds German."

"More Dutch, actually. I was born in South Africa."

"Ah, that explains it."

"Indeed."

The bartender—Arnold—returned with the whiskey. Hoffman tasted it, and it was divine. He smiled. "Perfect. Thank you."

"So Johannes, you're a Bishop in the Catholic Church. Is that a challenging job?"

"Penelope, honestly, it can be. But with the Lord's blessing and favor, I do my best. Fortunately, I have a great team of Priests underneath me. They do the hard work."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sure that's not the case. But you're a kind man to give them the credit."

"And you? What do you do, Penelope? If I may ask."

"Oh, well. I'm an old actress. I did some movies. I was famous once, for a time. But those days are long ago."

"Forgive me for not recognizing you."

"Please—don't worry about it. Most of my fans are middle-aged men or senior citizens who are nostalgic for the movies of their youth. Honestly, it gets a little tiresome having to give autographs to people who are older than my daughter is."

"About your daughter: she looked radiant this afternoon."

Penelope smiled. "Yes. Yes, she did. Lucifer has been good for her in that way. Before she met him, she almost never dressed up. A black leather jacket was her idea of high fashion. But now? Now she goes to a salon and gets her hair done, and she wears beautiful dresses. That's his influence."

"He's obviously a man of refined taste."

"Oh, you have no idea. The engagement dinner was a few weeks ago, and it was perfect in every way. He even sent a limousine to pick us up."

"Us?"

"Trixie has been staying with me while they get … settled. There have been so many changes in just a few months! Chloe retired from the force and, of course, Lucifer retired along with her. Now they live upstairs and run this club."

"What will they do next?"

"Well, they just picked out a beautiful home in Beverly Hills. They're going to move in soon. And I've sold my beach house, and I'll be moving in with them. Soon we'll all be a family again—Chloe and Trixie, Lucifer, and me."

"That sounds lovely, Penelope."

She nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. Honestly, it's been a long time since any of us have had a family. My husband died a long time ago, when Chloe was nineteen. And then she joined the police force and found Dan, and got married. She had Dan and Trixie, at least for a while. But I wasn't really a part of that family. And then it kind of fell apart. They got divorced. Since then, Chloe has been alone. We were both alone." She paused. "Now Lucifer has made it clear that he wants me to be a part of the family that he and Chloe are creating."

Hoffman smiled. "Lucifer seems to have an … interesting … family, does he not?"

"Oh, my word! Yes!" Penelope gestured to take in the entire club. "Just look at those people! What kind of costumes are they wearing? And to a wedding! Was a suit and a tie just too much effort for them?"

Coincidentally, at that moment one of the costumed guests stumbled by, obviously feeling the alcohol. Hoffman grabbed the man's arm to steady him. "Hello," he said. "Aren't you Raphael?"

The man nodded. "Yep. That's my name. Raphael. Unless you want to call me Azarias."

"Ahh, from the Book of Tobit," Hoffman said. "Helping Tobit conquer Asmodeus."

The man—Raphael—nodded. "Yep. That was my secret identity. Azarias. Never did understand why I couldn't just use my real name. Anyway, it all worked out and Tobit married Sarah." He paused. "Which was a good thing, because I think she was getting a little frustrated by that point. Seven husbands and no wedding night would make any woman a little frustrated, don't you think?"

"I see you know your Bible," Hoffman said.

"Uh, sure. Whatever." Raphael bowed to Penelope. "I think I'm done for tonight. Give my best to Lucifer and your daughter, my lady. I look forward to seeing them again, soon, in the Silver City." And with that, he stumbled away.

Penelope and Hoffman just looked at each other. He took a nice sip of the most excellent whiskey, and pondered what the man had said. He assumed that these … wedding guests … were actors, each playing a role. What other explanation could there be?

Finally, Penelope said, "I apologize for him, Johannes. I suspect the alcohol must have gone to his head." She paused. "I don't understand Lucifer's family, I swear! He's so dashing and debonair. Amenadiel is so … compassionate. But the rest? The rest are impossible!"

"These people are all part of Lucifer's family? They're not actors?"

"That's what Chloe told me. It's a large, extended, family. I think there were a lot of adoptions. For example, I met Lucifer's father a while ago, and he was a charming black man. I assume that Lucifer was adopted, and I have to believe that many of his other siblings were adopted, as well."

"Ahh, I see. That makes some sense," Hoffman said. But that still didn't explain the costumes, or that man Raphael's deep knowledge of the Book of Tobit. He would have to think about this some more.

#

Chloe and Lucifer stopped to visit with Linda and Amenadiel. They were nodding their heads to the music, but Chloe knew that the playlist wasn't really to either's taste. Linda had one of her favorite Tequila Smash drinks and Amenadiel was sipping one of Lucifer's prized bourbons. They smiled at the newly wedded couple.

Chloe put her arm around Amenadiel's shoulders. "You were wonderful, Amenadiel! It was a perfect ceremony. Thank you so much!" She kissed him on the cheek.

"Indeed, bro," Lucifer said. "You looked majestic on the altar. Almost regal."

Amenadiel shook his head. "Stop it, you two. I was pleased to help out. And I'm glad that everything did work out." He paused. "And now you two are one, and whatever Michael had planned has been stopped. Or so Azrael believes."

He looked around. "And where is Azrael, anyway? I didn't see her at the church, and she's not here now."

Lucifer shrugged. "You know Rae-Rae. She comes and goes in accordance with her schedule, not ours. After all, she has many souls to escort. Keeps her busy."

"Perhaps, brother. But I'd feel better if I could hear her tell us that Michael's plans have been stopped."

Lucifer hesitated. Chloe looked at him, because hesitation was never something he indulged in. "What is it, my love?" she asked.

"I'd like to speak with you privately. Upstairs, I should think."

"All of us?" Linda asked.

Lucifer nodded. "My wife, my brother, and my therapist—who's also our friend. If you would; this is important."

They took their drinks and headed for the penthouse elevator.

#

Eddie was blown away by the penthouse. "Your mom and Lucifer live here? How cool is that?"

Trixie said, "Well, she still has her apartment in Venice and—"

But Eddie had headed straight for the two-story bookcase, and was looking at the titles in Lucifer's collection. "Look at these!" he said. "So many first editions! They must be worth a fortune."

She let him look for a few minutes, and then said, "Hey, do you want to check out the view from the balcony?"

"Sure!"

They walked over and stood looking at the lights of downtown LA. It was a warm night, and they clinked their champagne flutes together. Then they wrapped their arms together and took deep drinks, the way people did in movies. Trixie couldn't help but giggle, it was that weird.

Eddie set his glass on a nearby table, and put his arm around her waist as they stared at the lights. They just stood there for a long time, doing nothing and saying nothing. He slowly turned her toward him and looked into her eyes. Then their eyes closed and their lips met.

It was a gentle kiss, the first for each of them. Neither knew what to do next, so they kissed again, lip to lip. Then they parted and looked at each other, unsure of where to go from here.

"Eddie," Trixie said. "That was nice. I liked it."

"Did you like it more than Krug champagne?" He smiled.

"Well, it's different, for sure. But I don't really have a description for how you taste. Maybe if we kissed again?"

He didn't need any more encouragement.

Their kiss was interrupted by the elevator doors opening.

Lucifer, Chloe, Linda, and Amenadiel walked in. Panicking a bit, the teens quickly moved out of sight to the side of the balcony, where the adults wouldn't see them.

They could hear the adults clearly though.

"What did you want to talk about, Lucy?" Amenadiel said. "After all, we have a party downstairs. I believe your absence will be noticed."

"Whatever, bro. Most of our siblings are well on their way to getting drunk, those that will allow themselves to be. Others are looking to hook-up with the first human who says yes to them. They won't notice us being gone for a long time, if they ever do. Besides, I don't think this little discussion will take all that long."

Linda said, "All right. We're all here. What's on your mind, Lucifer?"

"What's on my mind is the Throne. I don't want it anymore."

"What! Lucy, how can you say that! We fought a war for the Throne. People died so that you could have it!" Amenadiel paused. "We all risked our lives for you—and now you're getting cold feet? I can't believe it!"

"Are you sure, my love?" Chloe asked. "Are you really sure?"

"Yes, I am sure," Lucifer said. "I know I said I wanted the Throne. But what I think now is that I wanted to deny Michael the Throne more than I wanted it for myself. I couldn't stomach him sitting on it. Michael with absolute power scared me—and I think it scared all of us!"

"I'd like to know what Chloe thinks about your declaration, Lucifer," Linda said.

"Well … I think I'm relieved, to be honest. I wasn't looking forward to being his consort, or whatever you call it. Talk about a fish out of water! That isn't me." She paused. "On the other hand, I just made a vow to support him no matter where our journey takes us. And it wasn't just today. I made that vow to myself on the day I decided to retire from the Force. So if Lucifer's says our journey will lead away from the Throne, from the Silver City, then I say I'll still be there, alongside him. Wherever we go."

"But Lucifer!" Amenadiel said. "This is crazy! Who will take the Throne now?"

"You will, bro. You'll take Father's place. And you'll do a better job than I ever could."

"I'm not worthy of it!"

"Do you think I was? Do you think I was ready or worthy? Me? Mister Self-Centered? Ha!" He paused, and said quietly. "You know none of our siblings thought I was worthy. They'd rather have had Michael. If we hadn't fought them—if Chloe had defeated him—then they would have gladly seen him on the Throne, instead of me."

"Lucifer, you've come a long way. You're not Mister Self-Centered anymore. Given time, they will see that you're not the rebellious son anymore."

"That's right, my love. I know you care deeply about others. You have compassion. You've changed."

"No. It has to be this way. I love Chloe and I love Trixie, and I'm going to dedicate my life to loving and supporting them. I don't want the Throne; I want them. I choose them."

Chloe didn't say anything. Maybe she was crying.

"But Luce … Linda and I … we just—"

"Don't worry about that, Amenadiel," Linda said. "I know what we talked about, and I know you'd keep your commitment to me. But I'm releasing you from it, tonight and forever."

"Linda, why?"

"Because other people need you more than I do. Charlie and I will be all right. We'll be fine! Oh, I'm sure we'll have some tough spots, but we'll get through them." She paused. "And if you could find time to visit us once in a while, that would be nice."

"Linda, are you sure?"

"Absolutely. This makes all the sense in the world. You on the Throne, Lucifer with Chloe and Trixie. Everything in balance, the way it should be."

Lucifer said, "Then we are all agreed? I abdicate my claim to the Throne in favor of Amenadiel, and he accepts?"

Amenadiel sighed loudly. "Yes, we are agreed."

Chloe said, "I need a drink."

"So do I," Linda said.

"Well, I know where the drinks are, and there's a party going on right now. Let's get down there!" Lucifer said.

As the elevator doors closed, Amenadiel was asking, "How will we let the others know?" The answer to his question, if any, was left unheard.

The two teens walked back into the now empty penthouse apartment. They just looked at each other, trying to process what they'd heard.

Finally, Eddie said, "I didn't know you were like royalty. I mean, a throne! Do I call you Princess Beatrice, or what?"

"I don't know anything about that, Eddie," she said. "But it sounds like I'm not a princess anymore, if I ever was. It sounds like Lucifer just walked away from his throne—whatever that means—and now Amenadiel is the King."

"The King of what?"

Trixie hesitated. "Look Eddie. Remember when I told you that weird things happen around my mom and Lucifer?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Well, you just heard one of those weird things. Don't ask me any more questions about it, okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore. Besides, we weren't supposed to have heard any of that, and I'd rather my mom not know that we did."

"Okay," he said. "I guess this will be our secret. Don't worry, I won't talk about it with anybody else. Only—"

"Only what?"

"Only I want to kiss you some more."

Trixie smiled. "I think that's enough for tonight. If you want to kiss me some more then—"

"Then what?"

"Then you're going to have to ask me out on a real date."

"Okay! That's going to happen, for sure!"

"We'll see. In the meantime, let's grab our champagne flutes and head back downstairs. I don't want my mom to wonder where we were."

"Sounds good." He paused. "Hey, Trix?"

"Yeah?"

"I really liked tonight. I'm glad you asked me. And not just the kissing part, you know? I mean—I totally liked that! But I just like hanging out with you, you know?"

She nodded. "I like you too, Eddie."

He leaned over to kiss her, but she stopped him. "Sorry, we're going to have to save that for our date." But her smile told him that she would have kissed him, if only they didn't have to get back downstairs.