Parenting Lucifer
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Summary: Chloe and Dan are happily married when Lucifer starts working for the LAPD. When he finds out that Chloe is his miracle his world shatters. How can she love him when she is immune to his charme and happily married to another man? Well, there are many kinds of love. Lucifer finds out what it is like to be part of a real family and that there are other punishments than being banished to hell.
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Notes: There is no Trixie in this story. Without the responsibilty of a child Dan is a good cop and loving husband. Please comment on any mistakes you might find. English is not my first language and there might be words that are ill fitting for the context. I shall correct those immediately. Thank you for your help.
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Chapter 1: In the beginning...
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As a police officer in the homicide department Dan had seen a lot of grieving people. Tears, screams of denial, hatred, shock, those weren't any new emotions for him. He could normally handle them very well, keeping a professional distance to the victims and families, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel with them. He could understand those emotions very well. That was why, the day he found his wife's partner outside of their house sobbing his heart out, he acted as he did, changing all their lives forever.
Dan had been home with his wife. They had enjoyed a nice dinner after Chloe had found the last piece of evidence, solving the case they had been working on for the last three weeks and catching the killer. He had stepped outside to put the bins on the pavement for pick up, when he saw the black corvette parked in front of their house.
Lucifer was an eccentric but so far he was honest and likeable, charming when he wanted to be. Chloe had spent most of the time with him at work as he consulted for them but he got to know his wife's partner well enough. At first he was annoyed that Lucifer so blatantly tried to have sex with Chloe. It wasn't helping, that the ladies and even some gentlemen fell for the guy left and right, but she had stood firm. Not once did he see a flicker of doubt, or the tiniest indication, that she was even considering taking him up on his offers. So his self doubts diminished. Chloe was his and they loved each other. She would never betray him and he trusted her more than he trusted himself sometimes.
It was therefore an easy decision to bring Lucifer into his home. He couldn't have lived with himself anyway if he had decided to leave the miserable sobbing mess he found outside alone.
Lucifer wasn't screaming, not with his voice anyway, but his face had shown all the pain of the world. He was clutching a picture to his chest and rocking himself in a hopeless attempt of self soothing. Not that it seemed to be working. His shirt was wet from all the tears that were still constantly falling and his eyes were red and puffy, both arms showed wet stripes when he had wiped his nose, uncaring about his fine suit for once.
Dan had yelled for Chloe as he tore the door open, checking Lucifer over quickly for any wounds or injuries. He didn't see any apart from his mental state as he was sitting there unresponding to Dan's presence.
None of them liked to remember the night when Lucifer came to them. When he told them the truth, showed them the picture of his brother with Chloe's mother and let them see his gruesome face. Just for a second. Just long enough to not send them into a catatonic state of panic for the next week. When he told them about his family, and Chloe, his miracle, married to another man and his vulnerability when she was near him.
Both of them had taken the next two days off from work, and another week right after. With the highest closing rate and holidays still left over from last year no one dared to even ask them. The Lieutenant signed them off over the phone and told them to take another week, should they need it. Dr. Linda Martin, Lucifer's therapist was called and spend hours talking to him and to them. Dan and Chloe spend those hours discussing the new situation, when they waited outside on the porch with a pitcher of lemonade for Lucifer's session with Linda to end. Both of them felt the connection, not just between Lucifer and Chloe, but between Dan as well. Chloe's heart head been broken often enough by Lucifer's tears over the last couple of days, she decided and finally made the decision. He was going to stay with them, and he would be part of their family. And against all odds Dan just went along with it.
It had been a bumpy following weeks. No one could understand how Lucifer's mind worked, even if Linda tried her best. He jumped from ideas to conclusion and tested his theories, only to ignore the results when they came back unexpected. During the course of only a few weeks he was jumping from mistrust, to compulsively cleaning the whole house and cooking three meals a day, to avoiding any interaction while still staying around them, to testing the limits and back to total mistrust when the expected reactions were just not coming. They stayed calm and accepting and not once even threatened to throw him out. Maze would come and take him back to Lux a couple nights a week, but without fail they would find him back in his bed in their formerly guest bedroom, sometimes reeking of sex, alcohol and cigarettes but snuggling to Chloe's discarded shirts from the laundry basket.
Linda became a good friend to the family. And she helped them through the tough times until one day Lucifer just decided that he had pushed the boundaries enough and settled in this uncommon family, excepting that he was not going to be thrown out and going back to his cheerful self with all the confidence and insolence that came with it.
Chloe was growing a tad frustrated with him today. She had been happy and relieved when Lucifer turned back to what could be considered normal for him, but now he had stopped listening to her when she told him to wait and stay back.
That's why she was now running against her training and instincts like mad in the opposite direction she wanted to go. She knew Dan would stay with him, but at least he was a trained cop and wearing that damned bulletproof vest Lucifer had refused to wear as it would have wrinkled his suit. She just had to get out of his vicinity, she thought as she sprinted down some stairs and across the street. That madman was going to shoot him and she would never let him go out again without a vest. She heard two shots in the distance and stopped running, doubling over and panting. That was it. She didn't know if she had run far enough but she had to get back now. It felt like forever and just a few seconds later when she burst through the doors. Dan was kneeling next to their suspect pressing hard on the wound at his shoulder while Lucifer stood by.
"Detective," he said smiling apparently unhurt and Dan looked up relieved.
"Call an ambulance. I can't lift up or he'll bleed to death." The shooter on the ground groaned as Dan put more pressure on the wound. They could already hear sirens closing in on them, but that was probably reinforcement and not medical help. Chloe called it in immediately and then went over to Lucifer to check him over for any injuries.
"I'm all right," he said cheerfully at being groped, just when her finger found a hole in his shirt near the belt.
"This is not all right," she scolded, angrily pointing out the damaged garment. He looked down at her very, very displeased face and froze.
"We're going to talk about this later," she promised further and he suddenly felt less cheerful when she grabbed his arm and marched him outside to her car. He had seen screaming children in the supermarket lot being handled just the same way by exhausted mums. At least she didn't smack his bum in public as well.
"Get in and wait here," she ordered just as another police car and the ambulance came around the corner. She stayed long enough to check that he did as he was told and snapped, "Don't you dare leave the car," before storming back. She was scary when she was angry.
He watched from the passenger seat as the detective held the door open for the paramedics and followed them back in, while the officers blocked off the street and secured the entrance. He fished for his flask in his pocket and took a big gulp and then a second for good measure. After another couple minutes the paramedics came back with their guy on a stretcher followed by Dan and Chloe. One of them handed Chloe a bottle before they sped of and Lucifer watched as Dan set down on the stairs still shaking and Chloe poured the bottle over his hands to wash off the blood. She was calming him down. Lucifer couldn't hear what they were saying but he noticed the way Dan relaxed as Chloe put her hand on his shoulder. He remembered her doing the same for him just a couple weeks ago when he was distressed. It had felt good to know, that someone was there for you.
The ride back to the station was tense. Lucifer had been relocated to the back seat and after some ignored objection settled down to sulk. Chloe was driving with Dan on the passenger seat, who was still processing the last hour. Shooting a human only looked easy on TV. From time to time she would reach over and squeeze his hand or his knee. Dan would always look up and try for a smile. Mostly it ended looking like a grimace, but he was pulled from his dark thoughts for a moment, and that was all that counted.
As soon as they arrived Dan headed for his locker and the showers, leaving Lucifer to trail after his detective to her desk. She rummaged around a bit to emerge with a clipboard and a pencil and handed it over.
"Detective?" he asked taking the board from her.
"I want you to write a report on everything that happened after you entered the building until I got back." He scoffed trying to hand it back but she had crossed her arms.
"I never write reports. That's dull and you have to rewrite them anyway."
"Lucifer." Her tone was getting warningly low. "I was not there."
"You ran away." He put the board on her desk as she clearly wasn't willing to take it back. Chloe fumed at him.
"Because you are not invincible in my presence, are you? And you weren't even wearing a bloody vest. You will sit down and write that report or I'll show you how dull it can be to write the same sentence for one hundred times."
"You're punishing me?" he asked surprised, but his mood turned sour the next second. "Well, good luck with that." He stormed away and out of the building without looking back.
Chloe sighed. That hadn't gone down well. She had just wanted for him to realise where he had gone wrong by reflecting on his behaviour but being accused of running away had made her just as mad.
For a moment she just sat there in silence. He had never run away from her, he always sought her company. Maybe they both just needed an outsider's opinion. She called Linda and summarised as best as she could what had happened before Linda's next session had to start. They did not have as long as she would have liked, but thankfully Linda agreed to come over for dinner that night, which eased Chloe's concern somewhat.
Lucifer was not that considerate. After storming out of the precinct he aimlessly drove for an hour before ending up at Linda's practice. He pulled the poor chap, who just wanted to enter back by his neck, gave him a hundred dollar note and sent him on his merry way.
"Lucifer," Linda scolded softly, "You have to stop doing that. My other patients have problem's, too."
"Yes yes," he waved it aside, "But the detective wants to punish me. ME." He sat down on her couch crossing his legs. "Don't you think, that's preposterous?" he got het up.
Linda straightened her skirt and set down in her chair. "And why is that?" she asked.
"I am the one who punishes people."
"No no," she stopped him, "Why would Chloe want to punish you?"
"Because I didn't want to write that stupid report."
"Is that the real reason or might it be that you ignored her instructions during a case? She called me about two hours ago," Linda explained when he looked at her surprised.
"Then you know what happened."
"Why don't you tell me your side of the story." She leant back, ready to listen.
"All right," he said nonchalantly uncrossing his legs and leaning forward. "We expected the suspect to be in that building, so Chloe, Dan and I went in. I talked to him and he pulled a gun, the detective ran away and Dan shot him. End of story."
Linda nodded along and then frowned.
"I think, you're missing a few details there. Where you not shot?"
He subconsciously laid a hand over the hole in his shirt.
"My shirt was hit. I am invincible if you remember."
"Ah, but not when Chloe is around, are you?" He grumbled as they both knew that he was not.
"Why don't you start at the beginning, before you entered that building. What happened." He took a moment to organise his thoughts.
"Dan was waiting for us, because he got a tip that the suspect was there. They radioed for reinforcement and put on their bulletproof vests."
"But you didn't?" she asked and he shook his head.
"Chloe wanted to make me, but they crinkle my suits and are awfully restricting."
"So she allowed you to go in without a vest." Linda supplied, knowing it to be false. Lucifer wanted to say 'yes' but couldn't.
"Not so much allowed me... she said to wait outside," he admitted.
"But you didn't do that."
"Of course not. Back-up wasn't there yet."
"All right, go on."
Dan went upstairs and the detective turned left, so I walked straight through and found the suspect in the second room."
"What happened then?"
"I talked to him to let the detectives know that I had found him. I might have taunted him a bit, that he was caged like a rat in a building with one exit and that the police was there already." He scratched his neck, remembering what had happened.
"I could see Chloe at the entrance when he suddenly pulled a gun and aimed at me. Dan was back on the stairs but couldn't aim properly through the doorway, the suspect stood to the side. Chloe ran outside and away. I tried to get him to move a bit and it worked, but when I said that I wouldn't be willing to be his hostage he shot. And then Dan shot him and he fell bleeding to the floor and Dan pushed on the wound so he wouldn't bleed out. And then Chloe came back and called an ambulance and checked if I was hurt and then brought me outside to sit in the car. She was really angry."
"Why do you think she was angry?" Linda asked.
"Because she gripped my arm really tight and her lips were pressed together and her voice had that deep hissing tone, she gets when someone really annoys her."
Linda shook her head.
"I mean, what was the reason why she was angry."
He shrugged. "You have to ask her."
"No I don't, I know. I want to know if you realise why."
"You know? Why?"
Linda shook her head. How could he be so obvious?
"Lucifer, imagine Chloe wanted to go inside without a vest and you were the detective in charge. Would you let her get in?"
"Of course not, that's too dangerous for her."
Linda nodded. Baby steps.
"And if he shot her?" Lucifer blanched before turning to fiery rage.
"I would rip him to shreds and show him what hell feels like." His eyes turned red for a moment and Linda flinched subtly.
"Do you see a connection between your reaction and Chloe's here?" Linda tried again.
"I still want to rip him to shreds."
She needed to be more plainly. Not her usual path, but he was certainly not a normal client.
"Because you love her, and she loves you, too."
He scoffed. "We're not lovers. We don't even have sex. She's married and quite impervious to my charms."
"That doesn't mean she doesn't love and care about you."
That stunned him for a moment and he sat quietly contemplating.
"But she ran away."
"You had a gun pointed at you, and in case you keep forgetting, you are not invincible when she is near you."
He sat quietly, not really believing that train of thought. But there was no other explanation. She had come back right away and had checked him over for injuries.
Linda gave him the time to draw his own conclusion.
"And the punishment?" he asked.
"Oh Lucifer, she was scared for you. You brought yourself into a situation were you got shot when you didn't listen to her. Can you blame her for trying any incentive to keep you from doing that again."
He shook his head. "I guess not." Then he snorted and grinned. "She's my miracle. Even though we are not lovers."
"Maybe you don't need another lover. Maybe you needed something else."
"What else?"
"Maybe a family?"
"Lucifer," Chloe said surprised when she opened the door.
He faltered for a second. "You were expecting someone else?"
He did not show how his stomach dropped. He had messed it up again.
"Yes, come in. Where is your key?" Chloe sounded far too worried to have thrown him out. And the table was set for four, he noticed surprised. They had expected him to come home for dinner. They did not expect him to knock. He was still welcome. The air was suddenly pressed out of him as Chloe pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
"Do not run away like that. We were worried," she scolded lightly and he nodded perplexed.
"My apologies."
The door opened behind them and Dan came in holding a big bag of take away.
"Ah, you're here," he said to Lucifer and gave Chloe a peck on the lips. "Look who I found outside."
Linda came in behind him. He bustled through to the kitchen and opened the bag pulling out salad, mashed potatoes, something that looked liked creamed corn, Yorkshire pudding and lastly roasted prime ribs of beef. Lucifer stepped aside to let the ladies hug and then offered to take Linda's coat.
"Lucifer, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon?" Dan asked from the kitchen and Lucifer walked over to have a look at the vintage. He chose the Merlot and opened the bottle to let it breathe while Dan was putting the food on platters. Lucifer grinned happily, his mouth watering already, prime rips were one of his favourite dishes.
"Where have you been all day," Dan asked lightly, but it was clear that they had worried about him.
Lucifer felt slightly scolded by the question, like he had done something wrong. "Linda's, the beach. I had to think things through."
Dan nodded and handed him two platters to put on the table.
"So, you had an exciting day," Linda started as they all sat around the table and filled their plates. "Dan, how are you feeling?"
Dan froze with the spoon in the mashed potatoes, having not anticipated the first question to be directed at him. He filled his plate to give himself the extra second to answer the question.
"Not so great, but I guess I can sleep tonight. They informed me that the guy pulled through." Chloe rubbed his back comfortingly.
"You did what you could and you saved his life until the paramedics arrived. You did a good job."
"Thanks Linda." He smiled eased.
"Lucifer, how do you like the food?"
"I love it," he confirmed happily heaping some of everything on his plate. "I haven't ordered that for ages."
Linda watched as Chloe's lips twitched to a little smile and she winked. Lucifer must have caught that as he looked at her quizzically.
"You knew, that it was a favourite of mine," he stated.
"I called Maze. We thought we should celebrate that the bullet bounced off of you today," Chloe said cutting into her beef. "And it's the last time you go into the field without a vest," she added pointing her fork at him.
There they went again. His good mood dropped. "They... are... ruining... my... shirts," he snapped pronouncing each word overly distinctly.
"So do bullets," Chloe snapped back jumping out of her chair in anger at being talked to like an imbecile. "Let me demonstrate something," she said stamping around the table and pulling Lucifer out of his chair. He followed, too flabbergasted to resist. She pulled him two steps away from the table and grabbed the belt at the back of his trousers in one hand, holding him tight.
"You are NOT invincible!" Each word was accompanied by a sounding slap to his butt and he yelped aghast at the painful slaps, trying to wriggle free.
"Ah, aww, please, I'm sorry," he gasped desperately. He couldn't break free without hurting her and he would never do that. She released him after those four slaps and he jumped back, rubbing his bum and watching her with wide eyes, the audience forgotten.
"That bloody hurt," he whined as she stood there hands on her hips.
"Imagine how much a bullet would have hurt," she scolded sternly.
He crossed his arms loosely and looked forlorn and hurt at her feet until she held her arms open for him, giving him a forgiving nod. He rushed into the hug without hesitation, burying his face in her shoulder.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, and for getting shot, and for accusing you of running away, and for running off and not writing the report and... and..." he prattled away but thankfully stopped as Chloe pulled him tighter and stroked his neck, hushing him. She rubbed his back whispering sweet words of forgiveness as she calmed him down.
They stood like this for a moment until Lucifer pulled back and looked sheepishly to the table. Linda had a soft smile at the sweet scene and Dan shrugged at him, gesturing to get back into his seat. Chloe pushed him back gently and then walked back to her side of the table as well. Linda squeezed his knee in comfort and he blushed.
"This food is excellent," Linda said taking another bite, determined not to let the scene ruin this savoury dish.
"I want to go shopping a bit on Saturday, would you like to come along?" she asked looking at Chloe.
Lucifer fidgeted in his chair and Chloe was distracted for a second until the question registered and she happily accepted. Dan filled their glasses with wine and they all tucked in enjoying the delicious food. They were all too willing to ignore the little incident for what Lucifer was very thankful.
As soon as Dan started clearing the dishes Lucifer jumped out of his chair to help. At least that was his excuse to not remain seated any longer. He brought the platters into the kitchen and they piled the leftovers onto a plate to be put into the fridge. Linda decided to take her leave now and Chloe walked her to the door and kissed her good-bye.
"Thanks for coming, Linda. You were a great help."
"Always a pleasure with you three. I'll text you the time for Saturday."
"Bye Linda," Dan said from the kitchen echoed by Lucifer. They waved one last time as Chloe shut the door as soon as Linda was safely inside her car.
"Lucifer. Come here, please," Chloe said not unkindly but resolute. Dan looked up from filling the dishwasher. Lucifer took a step back surprised and subconsciously shielding his sore behind.
"Why?" he asked suspiciously, unwilling to get back into reaching distance should she start spanking him again.
Chloe sighed, holding out her hand invitingly.
"You were fidgeting through the whole dinner. I need to see if I did any damage."
"You want to look at my butt?" he asked with a curious mix of caution and leer.
"Please, for my peace of mind. Or have you suddenly gotten shy?" she teased as he hesitated, dropping her hand.
"Go on, she won't cede." Dan pushed him lightly forward and followed him over. If there was any damage he wanted to know about it. Lucifer looked at them warily but couldn't detect any malice, just concern.
"All right," he conceded finally, opening his belt and trousers. He turned to the couch and let the trousers drop to his knees. He put one hand on the couch bending over slightly. Dan gently lifted his shirt out of the way and four rosy handprints were unveiled, two on each side overlapping.
"Looks fine," Chloe confirmed, "No bruising just a bit red." She patted his side. "Remember that for the next time you want to do something reckless."
"Next time?" Lucifer gasped whirling around and pulling his trousers up worriedly. He would have taken a step back but the couch behind him prevented that. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Is the threat of a spanking an effective deterrent for you, yes or no?" He looked at her like a deer in the headlights until he visible deflated.
"Yes." He shuffled his feet and plucked at the hem of his shirt.
"Then it's settled." She pulled him into a quick hug and patted his back softly.
He excused himself to the bathroom to righten his suit and spent the next ten minutes looking at the handprints in the mirror, feeling for the radiating heat and taking some pictures from all angles to study them later when all was healed up again. He considered leaving her zone of influence for the time until he was healed but decided against it. A little bit of discomfort was worth being near her. He jumped down the stairs, mood once again lifted and found them still in the kitchen washing the platters and cleaning the wine glasses in the sink. Chloe was washing while Dan was drying, so he decided to put the cleaned things away.
Very domestic, he thought but shrugged it off. He had had domestic bliss aeons ago and nothing good came out of it. Then again, neither he nor his brothers had any sense of free will or choice in those days. His first punishment was banishment, not a spanking. Now he just had to figure out where the boundaries lay, hopefully without getting smacked again.
He still wondered how this had become his life as he later lay on the couch with his head in Chloe's lap while she combed through his hair. Dan sat on the other side of her, his feet propped up on the corner of the armchair, an arm around her shoulders and the remote on his leg.