Chloe squinted at Lucifer over the end of her pool cue.

Before doing a full 'date night', they decided to try out something a little more low key. She didn't know when things would stop feeling weird. But it wasn't tonight. It wasn't all sex-related either. She needed him to explain some things, but in the middle of a bar was not ideal.

After work, Ella joined them for a beer and some pool. She was in on the big 'secret' (which was actually not the big secret) and wanted to spend some time with them that wasn't colored with work and dead bodies.

Just down the street, they hit a bar that was a few blocks further away than the place their colleagues usually went. Most of her coworkers weren't her biggest fans as it was,so she really didn't feel inclined to give them a show.

Especially Pierce slash Biblical Cain.

She couldn't look at the Lieutenant now without thinking about what Lucifer said about him. Of course Lucifer wasn't helpful at all that day in that regard, always finding a reason to not be within grabbing distance. Of course Pierce noticed her acting wiggy but he hadn't pressed the issue-yet. She expected to be cornered at some point, but he was too busy with work today.

The rogue demon hadn't turned up either, which worried Chloe. Neither had any new bodies - either none had been found or there were none to be found. What do demons eat? Would Maze be able to find it?

Chloe poked Ella. "What do you do for fun, anyway?"

She startled a little, glancing up. "I like paintball. Wanna go sometime?"

"I feel like we'd murder all the competition. How about the beach?"

"Oh! We could go paragliding! If you're not scared of heights."

Chloe giggled, brushing her hair out of her face. "I don't think I am. That might be fun, all of us out in the sun?"

She collected her thoughts, looking over her man. Men? Had she ever seen Lucifer in swimwear? She knew how Dan looked, maybe Lucifer would like to go surfing. What happens if his wings get soaked in seawater? Is Lucifer waterproof?

She flushed a little, picturing them wet and dripping, heat rising to her cheeks. The three of them sharing Lucifer's bed, waking up to more than one heartbeat, more than one set of hands. Different sets of feet entangled in her legs. In the moment, it was wonderful. WIth a few hours of separation-not to mention work hours, the complications loomed over her.

Here in the bar, she pecked Lucifer on the cheek then went for a round of beer. Chloe had never been big on public displays of affection. She made a few exceptions for Lucifer, but not many. He usually respected her boundaries. Dan accepted the beer with a smile but kept his hands to himself. If not his eyes.

She and Ella leaned against an empty pool table, watching the boys play. Chloe tried to relax but everyone else just seemed so much better at it than her She tensed, expecting a crime scene to break out at any moment. Or maybe wanting one to.

Lucifer had shed his jacket, wearing a pale blue button up shirt and slacks that matched the midnight blue of his coat. Dan rested his hands on his stick, chewing the inside of his cheek and watching Lucifer line up his shot. His eyes tracked where his hands couldn't, making Chloe blush all over again.

Did she look like that when she watched Lucifer?

Probably.

Lucifer's back stretched in long lines as he leaned over the table. His body was impossibly elegant, lean and hard. She could see every line of him under those dress clothes, knew those muscles and that skin. She rubbed her neck, pulling at the top of her shirt.

Ella elbowed Chloe. "Whatcha thinking about?" the tone of her voice made Chloe think she knew exactly what she was thinking about.

Chloe sucked in a breath. If either of the men noticed, they didn't pause in the game. Lucifer's cue ball cracked into another and sent that one bouncing around a corner into another with a lighter tap. She overheard Lucifer say something to Dan about gravitational top-spin on stars as they travel through space and Dan went a bit cross-eyed. Dan commented that Lucifer should take over helping Trixie's math homework.

Heck, with Lucifer's tutoring, maybe she could get to be the first President of Mars.

She looked at her friend, "Ella, what's the most complicated relationship you've been in?"

"Nothing too crazy, dated a couple guys at the same time. They didn't know each other, but they knew I wasn't looking for anything serious. I decided they weren't guys I wanted to keep spending time with, so I split. I haven't dated all that much recently."

"Can I ask…?"

Ella grinned, "Yup. Lucifer's not the only person around here who can find company for the night. I'm not as crazy as I used to be, and I'm guessing he isn't either. Is this bothering you, here? You seem bothered."

Chloe deliberately loosened her grip on her stick and spoke quietly, "yeah? No? I don't know. I can't see how this could really work with anyone else, but…"

Lucifer laughed at something Dan said. Dan took his turn, making a halfway decent shot. Lucifer patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.

She bit her lip. "It was different when Lucifer and I weren't a thing. It didn't bother me that he slept around so much-"

"Really? Cause 92 people over two weeks seem like...a lot?"

Chloe nodded, "yeah. Hmmm. Okay, yeah, that was weird, but it didn't bother me."

Ella lowered her voice, "this isn't a thing to keep him from cheating on you, is it? Cause if it is… "

She barked a laugh that made both Dan and Lucifer glance at her. She waved them off. "No, oddly enough, that's nothing I'd ever be worried about."

"So he really is all that and a handbasket?"

"Trust me, you've never met a man with his stamina." she smiled grimly, "It's not humanly possible."

Ella leaned into Chloe just a little bit. "So? You can't leave me hanging like that, girl. What's the record?"

Chloe smirked and played with her words a little. "He's dedicated, thoughtful and... patient. And he's ready again in less than an hour. Each time." Which was all completely true. Lucifer looked up at her again from across the table and grinned warmly.

She twitched in place. "Did you hear all that, Lucifer?"

He tilted his head at Ella, "don't stop now darling, feel free to list all my good qualities. If it makes you feel better, I only listened to things after something about a 'handbasket'."

Ella smiled playfully, "not one here is going to Hell in one. I hope."

Chloe coughed. "Doesn't sound big enough. Turn off your ears, Lucifer."

He gave a thumbs up and went back to the game.

The four of them had greasy burgers for dinner. Three of them, that is, while the Devil eyeballed his suspiciously.

Ella pointed a fry she stole from Dan at him. "it's delicious, try it." She ate her burger with a side of fried dill pickle chips she shared with the table.

Chloe scooped a pickle through the ranch dressing and popped it in her mouth. "It's really good. I'm bringing a burger home for Trixie."

"How is she? Does she know about you guys?"

Dan waited for Chloe to answer, as she was the one in charge of everything. She picked at her bun. "Kinda? She wanted to know why daddy was on the couch last night, but she wasn't super curious. Dan has stayed over before, just not with Lucifer there too."

Ella's eyes got huge, so Chloe added, "not like that. He just wanted a little more daddy time, and I don't have a guest bedroom. A three bedroom apartment is expensive enough, even with a roommate."

Dan eyed the fried pickles the way Lucifer looked at his burger. "I'm lucky I haven't had to get a roommate. I could get one but then I wouldn't have a room for Trixie when she visits for a weekend. Which, by the way?"

Chloe looked up. "Oh yeah, that is next weekend, isn't it? Hmm. Sorry, I wasn't thinking that far ahead. Do you want to move things around?"

"Not unless you guys want to. You and Luce can have some time together and I can take Trixie hiking."

"Hiking?"

"Yeah, she's getting into nature stuff. We might even camp overnight."

"What if we all go?"

Dan shook his head. "I'm kind of looking forward to getting in some dad time. The last couple times I had her over we stayed inside. I've had work to take home or short weekends every other time. I had planned a half day off work, remember? Friday is a holiday or some school day off, I forget which."

Lucifer butted in, "sounds delightful. I get at least one Detective all to myself."

Chloe blushed as Ella grinned, responding, "besides, I can't see Lucifer camping."

He agreed. "Not unless I have to. I've done my fair share of camping before you lot started to use your brain to build indoor plumbing. I much prefer the current, modern world," he made a face at the basket of pickles, "even when it leaves some of you humans with far too much time on their hands and they fry everything."

Ella crunched another pickle chip. "more for me!"

Dan elbowed him, "I think the modern world agrees with you too. No one is getting burned at any stakes these days, am I right?"

Lucifer glared. "You mean like they used to?"

He immediately went pale, leaning back. "... Uh…"

"Don't you think I would have preferred they not?"

Dan tried to back peddle. "Well, yes, of course. It's not like you told them to do that."

"They certainly thought so!"

Chloe squeezed his hand. "He didn't mean it like that." She bit her lip. To Dan, she said, "you know better than to say things like that!"

Ella played with a fry, looking intently at a fuming Lucifer. "Dude, you weren't responsible for that, you know that right?"

He darkened. "Why, because I'm not actually the Devil, Ms. Lopez?"

She winced, pushing her food away. "Okay, I'll play. Even if you were the actual Devil, it still wouldn't be your fault. Humans and free will, right? That's.. Uh.. your Dad's thing? If anything, it's His fault!"

Some of the tension ebbed away, but not all of it. Lucifer's eyes were still slits. "And why is that?"

Ella steepled her fingers. "Well, God is the most powerful thing ever, right? And He didn't come down and tell His people not to burn witches - most of them were hung, not burned, and they weren't even really witches - but still. Free will is important, but it just seems like murder that gets you sent to Hell-I assume?"

He nodded stiffly, "I admit, the demons have a field day when any of those kinds of cold-blooded arseholes show up in Hell. Murderers in mine or my Father's name get special attention. Still rather they not have a reason to be there at all. Torturing is a lot of work."

Ella continued, "okay, so preachers are always going on about getting messages from God anyway, what would be the harm in sending a real message from God, not to murder witches? Or anyone, actually?"

Lucifer waved vaguely at the air. "Ask Him. He's not talking to me."

Ella sighed. "He doesn't talk to me either, but I still think He might be listening."

"For all the bloody good that does."

"Hey, sometimes just talking helps. You ever try it? And I don't mean therapy, I mean like a journal or a diary. I have a friend that does spells to clear her mind. I'm not saying it works in the sense that she's doing magic, but sometimes rituals are just nice in and of themselves."

Lucifer looked at her like she grew an extra head. "I thought you were...of Christ's flock?"

"Dude, I don't burn witches. And I don't think they're going to Hell either. And I kind of think God likes me enough to not punish me for hanging out with a good friend."

The Devil tilted his head. "Alright then." His expression lifted some and he scrutinized Dan. "But Daniel, you deserve some sort of punishment for that comment and I'll be thinking about something suitable."

Dan flinched, but the smoky look Lucifer gave him made him think it wasn't going to be entirely painful. He hoped. Or if it was, it will probably be pleasurable as well.

Ella blushed, but Chloe said, "Can I watch? I still have a lot to learn about that stuff."

Lucifer smiled, much more warmly now that she was on board. "Certainly. I can teach you both about taking care of someone after a suitable punishment. It's not all whips and chains you know."

Ella looked like she wanted to watch too.

Chloe curled up against her Devil, checking her phone. They reclined on her couch for a few minutes before he had to leave to manage the club. She didn't want to break the quiet, but if she didn't, she knew he wouldn't. "Lucifer?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we going to do with Pierce?"

"Hmmmmm? Well, he can't die. We might be able to get him to leave."

"Okay, but...does he know what he's doing? Is he really capable as our boss? If we shuffle him off to another precinct, will they survive it?"

"Your boss maybe. I don't answer to him."

Chloe grumbled, "because you don't want to. And you can get away with it because you know his secret. Does he know who you are too?"

"He does. It's...why he came here."

She sat up. "I thought you said he wanted to do something with me. You still have to explain that."

"Must I?"

"Yes. I know you can feel pain when I'm around, but what is it? Do more people have it? How many?"

Lucifer took her hand, squeezing it. "To the best of my understanding, you're a miracle. Dad is more or less directly responsible for you being here. I rejected it for a long time. It was worrisome to me."

"And because of that, you can be hurt? You experience pain, because of me?"

"I have a lot of lovely experiences while being around you."

She smiled a little and tried to digest it. "Aren't all humans though? Created by God?"

Lucifer sounded puzzled. "What?"

"Your dad…made…everything, right? I'm still not quite processing it all since I spent most of my life not believing, but if the creation story is true, God created me either way, right?"

Lucifer looked skeptical."Technically, yes, that's true."

"How many miracles are there? Is there a meeting I should be attending?" she tried to lighten his mood.

He looked at her longingly, touching her shoulder. "At this point in time? Just the one."

"Oh." Chloe sat up, looking into his deep, dark eyes. There was something there in them that made her fall in love a little more, and something that scared her. She figured out what it was. He's afraid!

She leaned over and kissed him tenderly, cupping his face. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I don't care what your Dad did or didn't do, I'm still here."

"But what if you're supposed to be with me?"

She giggled. "Then why was I married when you met me?"

"Dad knew you'd divorce…"

"Did He? Can we have free will if God knows what I"m going to do? Besides, this way, Trixie can be part of your life too." She jumped a little at that. "Wait, if I'm unique, does that mean I might be able to have a kid with you? You told me before that you can't, but if I'm special or different?"

"It would just prove my fears, wouldn't it? That you were put in my path?" he flinched a tiny bit, "I suppose we should make sure you're on protection either way then, with or without Daniel in the mix."

Chloe kissed him again. "Does it matter if I was put here? Would you leave me because your dad wants this? Don't you want this?"

Lucifer touched her face. "Of course I wouldn't leave. Won't. But..."

"What?"

"I'm going to outlive you. Not even by months or year. By...eternity."

She hung onto him, clutching him. "I guess I'll just have to visit you somehow, after I die."