Chapter 26: What you can make from raw firmament

Detective Beckett's team loaded Thompson into the back of one of the cruisers. Chloe leant against one of the other cars with Lucifer beside her and breathed a sigh of relief. It was over, the murder was in jail and the New York detectives were none of the wiser to Lucifer's identity and more importantly, they didn't think she was completely mad.

"Where's the feather?" Chloe asked her partner, remembering the plain feather he had placed into the evidence bag. Thanks to recent exposure Chloe knew an angel feather when she saw one, and that hadn't been an angel feather.

Lucifer offered her his hip flask. "Ash."

Chloe shook her head and watched as Lucifer took a swig before screwing on the cap and tucking it back into his jacket pocket. "And yours?"

"The same, safer if there isn't a pile of angel feathers floating around New York."

Chloe snorted and looked up at him. "Where'd you get the replacement feather?" There was no way Lucifer had had time to go and find a crow feather with the urgent hunt for Thompson.

Lucifer half turned to her and looked her right in the eyes. It was a look she was sort of familiar with, before she would have called it a sad look, now she realised it was just very, very old. "Amazing what you can make out of raw firmament." Was the reply she got.

Chloe was glad when Beckett and Castle arrived, she wasn't sure she wanted to ask any more of those questions. She was worried she wouldn't like the answers. The old look was gone from Lucifer's face, replaced with his usual charming smile. Beckett did another of those little hesitation steps that people did when surprised by Lucifer.

The NYPD detective managed to shrug it off, which Chloe thought was impressive. "We got him, but you two should have called in for back up when you found him." Chloe looked over Beckett's shoulder at Andrea Parker who was being examined by paramedics. "You arrived before I had a chance. I really appreciated it too, if you hadn't been there who knows what would have happened." That was the truth Chloe supposed, she had no idea what would have happened, or more importantly what Lucifer would have done, if the other detective hadn't arrived when she did. Chloe was grateful to Detective Beckett, for putting up with Lucifer, for welcoming them here and for not asking too many difficult to answer questions.

Beckett smiled warmly. "It's been nice to have another female detective around." She flicked a glance at Lucifer who smirked. "Even if your partner is a bit odd."

Lucifer scoffed lightly. "Pot, kettle." He said airily, nodding in Castle direction.

The writer grinned. "He has a point." He then clapped his hands together and beamed. "Now that we have successfully wrapped up the case, bad guy in jail, day well and truly saved how about a drink."

Lucifer looked positively cheerful. "Best idea of the night."

Chloe nodded. "Sounds good, but we do have to get going."

"Flights from JFK don't leave this late; you'll have to catch something in the morning." Castle told them both.

Chloe resisted the urge to look at Lucifer; instead she fell into step with Beckett as they headed towards the cars. A night with some alcohol would be just the ticket before having to fly home again.