.
Summary:
When neither telling him off nor a spanking work Chloe has to find another angle to get Lucifer to behave.
.
Notes: This is just a short chapter in between, the next two are going to be longer again, I promise. Please leave a review. Thank you.
.
.
"Dan. Daniel. Please, you have to help me," Lucifer whispered urgently looking around the precinct for his partner. Daniel sighed and facepalmed internally. That was the second time this week that Lucifer was pleading for his help.
"What have you done, now?" he asked instead putting his pen down and looking at the taller man. Lucifer fiddled with the hem of his jacket glancing between the interrogation room and the floor. There were many tells when Lucifer was feeling guilty and Dan had seen them all more than once. But avoidance has never helped him so far and usually made whatever it was worse.
"With words," he admonished prompting and Lucifer was reminded again that not only Chloe could hold the reigns to pull him in. But Dan was normally the safer choice when it came to discipline.
"I spoke to the suspect and he's no longer a suspect, but he's crying now."
Dan growled frustrated.
"You do not talk to suspects alone. How many times do we have to tell you that?" he scolded, even raising his index finger, but thankfully stood up to take care of the situation.
"Sit down, stay there, don't touch anything," Dan ordered not needing to look if he was obeyed. Lucifer knew the drill by now.
Luckily Daniel was proficient in calming people down and still getting useful information out of them, but Lucifer watched on with dread as the detective joined her husband in the interrogation room and the now witness was allowed to leave on his own after a while.
Lucifer hated when they were discussing him without him there but on the other hand he didn't want to be in immediate reach should they decide that he needed to be punished.
A crooked finger ordered him over to the detectives after a while and he walked there quickly before one of the officers would notice.
"Sit down," he was told sharply and he rushed to obey.
"What shall we do with you, Lucifer?" Chloe started after he sat down in the suspects chair opposite them. Both had remained standing in unity with their arms crossed.
"We told you not to talk to suspects alone so many times," she scolded. "You already got a spanking last time and now you waltz in here alone again. Tell me..." she slapped the table top hard and he jumped, "What do we have to do?"
Lucifer lowered his eyes in submission. "I don't know."
Chloe sighed, not sure how to proceed neither.
"All right. Maybe it is too hard of a concept, let's try another angle. Come with me."
She led him out of the room, Dan followed behind and closed the door.
"Wait here."
She went over to her desk and pulled the short wooden ruler from her drawer.
"All right, see these handles. They will burn devil hands so you shouldn't touch them. She opened the door and stepped in, showing him her hand. "See, human hands are fine. Now you try." She closed the door behind her.
Lucifer looked at Dan unsure what they were trying to accomplish here.
"Go on, open the door."
Lucifer did, stepping in, still wondering what was going on.
"Show me your hands," Chloe demanded, demonstrating how he was to hold his hands in front of him palms up.
She delivered one quick slap with the ruler on each palm and Lucifer gasped hiding his hands behind his back.
"That really hurts," he accused trying to rub the sting out.
"That happens when devil hands touch these door handles," Chloe said matter of factly. "Go on out and try again."
He grumbled but obeyed. That was a mean punishment.
Dan was standing a couple feet away from the door and he walked over hoping for some pity.
"She hit my hands."
Daniel took the offered hands in his, looking at the red stripe and wiping over it with his thumb.
"Yes those door handles really burn devil hands."
"This is ridiculous," Lucifer scoffed pulling his hands back.
"Well go back in and tell that to Chloe then." Dan shrugged his shoulders.
"I will," he growled and opened the door again.
"Detective, this is ridiculous. I will no longer partake in this farce," he announced crossing his arms.
"You're right, this really is ridiculous, Lucifer. Show me your hands... now," she said and he cringed at the tone. Slowly he offered her his open hands again and she did not hesitate to paint a second red stripe next to the first one.
Lucifer whimpered, blowing into his palms and holding his hands protectively in front of his chest.
"How... how many more?" he asked timidly.
"As many as it takes you to learn, that those door handles will burn your hands," Chloe confirmed and send him back out to Dan.
It took him four more rounds of being sent back and forth hesitating longer and longer in front of the door, trying to open them with only his little finger and still getting smacked, until it finally clicked and he turned to Dan.
"Will you please come with me?"
Dan nodded and Lucifer stepped aside to let him open the door.
They stood around awkwardly for a second. No punishment needed to be delivered and Dan took a seat. Lucifer shuffled his feet.
"Would you bring me a pencil from my desk please," Chloe asked more calmly now and he nodded. She crossed her fingers hoping he had learned his lesson as she waited for his return.
Lucifer found a pencil quickly and was back at the door in seconds but recoiled as soon as his outstretched hand came near the handle. Unsure what to do now he hesitated a moment before he knocked on the door. The detective opened him smiling relieved.
"Very well done." She kissed his cheek quickly and he got a pat on the back from Dan.
Lucifer instantly felt better. He loved being praised and the dread after having to confess that he broke the rules again and made the suspect cry was gone as well. But the best part was the peck on the cheek.
Chloe took the pencil out of his hand.
"A lesson well learned, I hope?" she said and he nodded. Don't touch the door handles, check.
"All right, come on," Dan said and led him over to the men's room. Lucifer followed and Dan pushed him over to the sinks, turning the water to cold and letting him cool his hands. Lucifer sighed relieved as the sting lessened.
"Better?" Dan asked and Lucifer looked at him in the mirror.
"Considerably."
He took another minute to cool his hands and then took two of the paper towels, wiping them dry. He hesitated as he looked at Daniel.
"I have to pee now."
Dan rolled his eyes. "Yes me too." They turned to the urinals and stood as far away apart as they could in the small bathroom. They met again at the sinks for a quick wash and Lucifer handed him some towels.
"Why are you always nice to me after I get punished?"
"To show you, that you are forgiven and we still love you," Dan said without shame or hesitation. It took Lucifer a full two seconds to react and follow Daniel out of the restroom and over to Chloe's desk.
She raised an eyebrow at the time they spent in there, but Dan just shook his head minutely and she shrugged it off.
"Better?" she asked holding her hands out for his and he obliged.
"Yes, Detective," he confirmed as she wiped her thumb over the red marks gently. She grabbed her bottle of hand lotion while holding on to his fingers with the other hand and squeezed a small dollop into his palms.
"Thank you," he whispered touched as she spread it out and massaged it softly into his skin.
He might not like being disciplined, reprimanded and punished, but he liked how it was handled after the slate was cleaned. Compared to his old family these two were in a league of their own of handling a devil.
.
.
.