A/N: I've got very little left to say after my much prolonged absence. I've been overwhelmed both by a few life-changing decisions and some health issues, which didn't really help with my writing.

But good news is that I'm back and fully intent to stick around!

I've given the story some thoughts lately, and as a result I've got a much better sense of the direction in which it's heading. The estimated length stays the same, but I have a feeling this story may grow even longer. Or I'll have to create a series and write another installment.

Anyway, this chapter is longer than the previous ones, even if mostly consisting of dialogues (hence the title). Those conversation, however, are quite crucial for the conflict that is slowly building within the story. After all, Deckerstar has a lot of work ahead, before they'll be able to take their relationship to the next level.

If you see any mistakes, please, let me now.


Chapter 5: Make Conversation


Chloe breathed in deeply, taking a halting step into the Lieutenant's office. The perspective of having this conversation right now was neither comforting nor encouraging. With her mind engaged in analysing Joel Andrews' case, it was even more difficult to focus on other matters, much less ones regarding her still ongoing emotional turmoil.

Despite her reluctance, she knew that avoiding talking with Marcus was childish at best, so she should simply get hold of herself and move on, like an adult woman that she was. At times like this, she couldn't help but envy her immature partner, even if she didn't approve of his silly behaviour. At least, it wasn't expected of him to be so professional all the time, something that she was actually struggling with sometimes. But now was not the time to feel sorry for herself.

While Chloe kept lingering close to the door, deep in her thoughts, Pierce had already made it to his desk, apparently not noticing her hesitation. Only after he turned to face her did he realise she hadn't exactly followed him. A frown crossed his face, and Chloe could tell that he was trying to make sense of her reluctance.

"How do you feel?," he asked eventually, clearly finding something in her expression that was worrying him.

Chloe looked away, unable to bear his intense gaze, so full of concern. The fact that they had supposedly taken a step in their relationship didn't make being vulnerable around him any easier for her. Had she more time to ponder on that thought, she might have realised that this couldn't mean anything good.

Now, however, Chloe didn't feel like thinking about it too much. "I'm okay," she reassured him as much as herself, keeping her voice calm and steady. Another big breath, and her head wasn't any clearer. "It's just—" She bit her lower lip. A feeling of terrible helplessness that she had been trying to push to the back of her mind started resurfacing again. Yesterday's evening had truly been too eventful. "I don't know how to feel about almost getting murdered yesterday," she admitted quietly, genuinely surprised at a sudden jolt of shame she felt at that declaration.

Marcus nodded slowly, and she thought that she saw a flash of understanding in his eyes. However, other than that, his reaction was rather restrained. She was used to Pierce's stoic demeanour, and as comfortingly normal as it was, she felt like a more emotional response from him would be much more reassuring.

His gaze still locked on her, he took a few steps, closing the distance between them significantly. "And—did you rethink my offer?," he asked gently, with his voice much lower that before.

Chloe looked down promptly, unable to repress shame that she started feeling at the thought that she had barely spared that matter a second yesterday. "I—I don't know," she said reluctantly, opting for an explanation that wasn't exactly a lie. "I have to think it over with a cool head, and last night—I'm sorry, I couldn't really think—clearly." Her hands found their way to her necklace, her fingers wrapping around it tightly. Focused on choosing right words, Chloe failed to notice Pierce's eyes following her nervous movements. "I need more time to sort out—," what I feel, she finished in her head, not daring to speak those words out loud. She wasn't ready for it yet, not with a certain Devil occupying the majority of her thoughts. "To—to sort it all out."

To her surprise, she realized that she was worried how Marcus would react, as if she owed him some sort of an assurance that they were still going to happen. The rational part of her mind knew that it wasn't how things were and she wasn't obligated to do anything, but, with the way he was looking at her, she felt bad for pushing him away yet again.

Luckily, Pierce just smiled softly, though there was something in his eyes that Chloe couldn't quite place. "That's—okay," he said unwaveringly, grabbing her arms reassuringly and making Chloe let go of the bullet pendant. "Fast or slow, whatever the speed, I'm into this." His voice was firm, as he tried to meet her dropped gaze. "If you haven't figured it out, Chloe, I'm—" There was a moment of hesitation that caused Chloe to look up at Marcus's face. "I like you," he admitted, his eyes studying her features warmly.

A shy and equally disbelieving smile spread across Chloe's face before she even could fully process his words. To hear something like that from someone, furthermore completely unprompted, it made her heart grow. Pierce really did choose to be vulnerable with her, out of his own volition. She was about to answer him properly, when she froze, her lips already parted.

I love you, Chloe. And as much as I do, it changes bloody nothing if you can't make you own choice!

She could hear Lucifer's voice in her mind almost as clearly as if he was standing right next to her. Granted, she'd had to force him to say it, it didn't diminish, however, the sincerity of his words. And their implications. His issue with her apparent lack of free choice continued to puzzle her, but she knew she had made a choice long ago, surrounded by the sand and the warm sea breeze. What she hadn't anticipated back then was how hard that choice would turn out to be.

Quickly, so that Pierce wouldn't notice her distraction, she scolded herself mentally, making her smile grew a bit wider. "I'm happy to hear that." She bore her gaze into the floor again, irritated by how awkward her words sounded. "I'll rethink it as soon as we're finished with the case," she assured him, feeling his grip loosening.

He eventually stepped away, the encouraging smile remaining on his lips. She was truly astonished by how well he had taken practically being rejected, at least for the time being. He seemed like a really good guy after all—he was here for her, very much willing to start something, contrary to her partner.

Chloe took a deep breath, deciding to focus on the matter at hand that was Joel Andrews' case instead. "And, about that case—we'd like to go examine the culprit's house," she said, bringing Pierce's attention back to their work. "After questioning him and going through the evidence, I have a reason to believe that he wasn't working alone," she explained, regaining her professional composure.

Pierce nodded, turning to his desk. "You're taking Lucifer with you, I assume?" His remark sounded neutral, though she could sense a strain in his voice; jealousy, maybe.

Weirdly enough, confirming his presumption brought her so much more satisfaction because of that. "Of course," she said simply.

With his back facing her, she barely saw another nod. Marcus clearly avoided her eyes now, as if he was trying to hide that he'd like to hear a slightly different answer.

"Good luck, then." His tone was stern, while he made it back to his chair, looking at a few documents on the way. "Just remember that we caught the murderer, so your further work on that case won't be a priority," he added coldly, back in his professional mode.

Chloe was fast to agree with him. "Naturally." Turning around swiftly, she was about to leave, but she threw one more glance at him over her shoulder. "I'll let you know when I decide," she said with a soft smile, hoping that she would cheer him up a bit.

After switching on his PC, Marcus answered her in a bit constricted voice: "I hope so."

This time she didn't fail to notice how he was eyeing her necklace, his lips resembling a thin line. One more a bot forced smile, an apologetic look, and she was out of his office, aware now that the decision which she thought she had already made might not be as simple as it had seemed.


Lucifer stood still exactly where Chloe had left him, keeping his eyes fixed on the door that had just shot behind her. He'd rather not have her talking to Pierce right now, but as much as he hated it, it was not his call to make. All that he was left with was the puzzling case of Joel Andrews.

Despite Lucifer's great interest in this weird copycat killer, he could only give him so much attention, his mind focused solely on the Detective, as well as everything that happened the previous night. Apparently, he was just as distracted by that whole situation as Chloe was.

With his distant gaze still directed towards the Lieutenant's office, Lucifer didn't fail to notice the way Pierce closed the distance between him and Chloe, and his blood practically boiled at the sight. To his astonishment, he discovered that it was an emotion far different from common jealousy—Chloe had yet to get to know the true identity of her boss, and seeing her in his arms brought a tremendous amount of fear into his heart.

That was intriguing. Fear, that is. He hardly ever feared for his own well-being, much less anybody else's. Well, he could recall instances of a strong sense of dread coursing through his body, especially during his fateful fall. This, however, felt utterly alien to him—to be so frightened for somebody, and a human no less.

His Detective was truly something else, evoking emotions in him he had never expected to experience in his infinite lifetime. Who would've thought that a mere mortal could have so much influence on him. It seemed so insanely impossible that it nearly screamed with a divine intervention.

Lucifer gritted his teeth, yet again facing the undeniable fact that what he had once regarded as the best thing to happen in his eternal life was nothing more than another cruel manipulation of his beloved Father. What was even worse, he'd been giving in time and again to the temptation of remaining by her side, even when he had been given a perfect opportunity to free her from that whole ordeal. He should have left the precinct this instant, but he couldn't bring himself to it, not after the promise he had given to Chloe, and certainly not after what he had heard in the interrogation room.

This Joel Andrews was so sure of himself, which in and of itself wasn't uncommon for psychopathic murderers. However, his remarks seemed weirdly accurate, even if their sole purpose was just to make fun of Lucifer. He acted as if he knew way more than he let on, which was a bit concerning. What if he was some sort of an unearthly being roaming the world of mortals, and what if it wasn't the only one…

That was a ridiculous thought, Lucifer was perfectly aware of that. On the other hand, it would be quite naive of him not to be prepared for such an option. The Devil knew that he wasn't the only one messing with humans, although he would never go as far as directly causing them an actual harm. It was all the more alarming, though, if there was a being who had absolutely nothing against hurting people.

Lucifer's train of thought was stopped short by a light tapping on his shoulder. Barely refraining from snapping at the person who bothered him, Lucifer turned around sharply, only to face a bit bewildered Charlotte. A quiet sigh escaped his lips at that sight, which she clearly didn't miss.

She took a steading breath, averting her gaze from him for a moment. "I'd love to chat with you Lucifer," she said simply, her voice calm, but with a strange undertone to it that Lucifer had trouble recognizing.

The Devil forced an apologetic smile that probably would look much more convincing had he actually cared, which he was far from at the moment. "Well, I'm terribly busy, Charlotte." Such an explanation was perfectly true—he was very much occupied with the suspiciously enigmatic copycat killer and eyeing closely the encounter in Pierce's office. Therefore, he had no time to spare for his used-to-be-but-no-longer-is Mother. "I'm sorry," he added, hoping that by being polite he would guilty her to let go.

Charlotte pursed her lips, apparently expecting such an answer. "It's important." She fixed him with a firm gaze, and something in her eyes told him that it was better to just acquiesce to her plea. "Maybe somewhere a little more private?," she offered in a hushed voice, completely ignoring his last words.

Turning away from her, Lucifer hardly held back a groan. It didn't felt particularly pleasant to be treated with so much disregard, even if he often did so himself. Besides, he could clearly see how uncomfortable Chloe must've been, with her tense posture and vastly limited gesticulation. The plan of getting her out of Lieutenant's office slowly started to take shape in his mind, and he was more than ready to implement it.

"Look, I—I really am in a bit of a rash, Charlotte," he said sharply over his shoulder, not even bothering to look away from his partner.

Lucifer couldn't see her reaction, but he did hear a deep breath that she took. "Of course. I just wanted to mention that I met your brother, Amenadiel." Her voice was again fairly even, even despite the slight wavering at the former Angel's name.

Upon hearing his brother's name, Lucifer's mind came to a halt. Chloe's current predicament had to wait for the time being, as he was suddenly forced to extinguish a fire he hadn't even started. Well, maybe he had, but he certainly wasn't directly responsible for it.

"Oh, deary me. I bet that was a snooze," he said lightly, turning back towards Charlotte, who was apparently studying him closely.

"So you confirm he's your brother?," she asked, her eyes deadly serious.

Lucifer flashed her the all-familiar smile, putting hands in his pockets. "Well, yes, of course." He shrugged, unable to see why that information held so much significance for her; he wasn't at all discreet in that matter.

Charlotte only slightly nodded, gazing away for a moment, as if she needed to gather her thoughts. Then, she looked up pointedly, and upon following her gaze, Lucifer found himself staring at the platform, which was overseeing the precinct. Quickly guessing her intention, he reluctantly followed her up the stairs.

Only after they reached the balcony did Charlotte decide to carry on with their conversation. "Well, he had some interesting things to say, things that you never mentioned," she revealed, her attention focused back on Lucifer's expression. "For starters, would've been nice to know that you were my stepson before I kissed you that night."

Lucifer gave her an incredulous look, before bursting out laughing. "'Stepson'? Right."

Charlotte smiled at how ridiculous it sounded, but there was an edge to her smile that Lucifer knew had very little to do with amusement. "Yeah."

"That would've been far preferable, Mum—Mum—my dear Charlotte." Lucifer cursed himself silently for this very pathetic slip-up, hoping against hope that she wouldn't catch up on it.

Which she obviously did. "You said 'Mum,'" she pointed out flatly, her eyebrows raising slightly, daringly.

Lucifer blinked. The direction of this conversation was taking a turn that he was liking much less with every passing moment. At such a pace, he would say things he wished he wouldn't sooner than he'd ever like. Perhaps playing dumb would discourage her, he decided. "Did I?"

However, Charlotte seemed not to pay mind to his question, analysing the potential confirmation of her suspicion instead. "So I was—I was your stepmom?"

"Well, not anymore. Look, it—it's complicated, Charlotte," he said impatienty, seeing that Chloe was about to step out of Pierce's office in the corner of his eye, "and I am horribly crunched for time, so—"

Despite his insistence, Charlotte was far from giving up. "Tell me what you know, and don't lie to me," she demanded, giving him the look which he suspected she had perfected on both her children and any disobedient or too cocky associates.

Seeing that refusing to tell her anything didn't lead him anywhere, Lucifer sighed heavily. He had no idea what else to do to get rid of this nosy woman. Her curiosity and stubbornness were giving him a very hard time.

Charlotte apparently noticed that he was about to crack, so she adjusted her tactic accordingly. "Please, Lucifer." Her voice sounded desperate this time, her painful confusion clear in her features. "I feel like I'm going crazy," she admitted, reaching out to him as if he was her only hope.

Having closed his eyes, Lucifer took a deep breath. Amenadiel's inability to keep his mouth shut was driving him insane. His brother shouldn't have ever revealed anything to the poor lawyer, even if Lucifer hadn't really informed him what happened with their former Mother. Of course, now it was the Devil who had to make it right. "Fine—Fine, I suppose you do deserve to know the truth," he agreed finally, hoping that she wouldn't believe his words anyway. "Okay, then. No sense dillydallying. I really am the Devil. My brother Amenadiel is a former angel. That time you thought you survived being stabbed by your junior associate, you didn't. You died, and your soul went straight to Hell. Your empty body became a vessel for my real mum, the Goddess of All Creation, until her celestial light started bursting out of your midsection. Naturally, I sent her to another universe, so she wouldn't destroy this one. Once she vacated your body, you, Charlotte, came back to life. All right? There we are. All caught up." He chuckled softly, wrapping up the story as quickly as he had started it, leaving a little room for Charlotte to interrupt him.

Lucifer smiled gladly at her, a part of him hoping she would just laugh it off. After all, he was saying a lot of things that humans found ridiculous on a daily basis. She shouldn't expect any more than that for him anyway.

However, contrary to his expectations, Charlotte didn't look about to laugh. Her facial expression remained blank, but she inhaled sharply, her eyes suddenly distant as she kept looking at him.

Although he could tell she had taken it hard, he was unable to muster any sympathy for her at the moment, not after her insane insistence on him talking. "You wanted the truth? Well, there it is." There was an edge to his voice that he didn't even bother to hide. The Detective was out of the Lieutenant's office, and he'd rather not have her waiting for him. "Now I really, really must be going because there's an investigation I need to take care of, but—," he was so angry at this point, both at himself and his babbling brother, so he couldn't help adding: "if you have any follow-up questions, please, do feel free to—ask Amenadiel." He flashed her a bitter smile, nodding curtly.

A voice that Lucifer would recognise anywhere called his name, and he brought his attention back to Chloe, who was looking at him expectantly. Car keys were dangling right before her, her fingers wrapped around them tightly. There was something in her expression that Lucifer couldn't quite place.

"Lucifer, are you going or not?," the Detective asked loudly, her voice both raised and somehow shaky.

Lucifer threw one last glance at still frozen Charlotte, quickly turning towards the stairs. "I'm coming, I'm coming, no need to rush," he said with a hopefully convincing smile, though he could tell that his reassurance did very little to lift Chloe's mood.

He came quickly down the stairs, trying to piece together what would be the reason for the Detective's sudden hastiness. Only minutes before, she had clearly asked him to wait, and now she was the one awaiting him.

"I thought you've wanted to put together a report?," Lucifer couldn't help but point out as soon as he reached the lower floor, stopping right next to a bit agitated Chloe.

"It can wait," she said flippantly, earning a sceptical look from Lucifer.

She didn't, however, bother to elaborate, rushing towards the lift instead. Her rapid movements and a bit careless attitude were so very unlike her that Lucifer wondered if she actually was fine, like she had previously claimed. Not that it could be even remotely surprising, after everything she had been through.

Lucifer stepped into the lift right next to Chloe, careful not to enter her personal space. Charlotte's breathless reaction had been haunting him ever since he had seen that terror in her eyes, and it made him think whether there was more to Chloe's current state of mind than she let on. After all, it would correspond perfectly with her character to worry more about the well-being of others, rather than her own.

Something heavy started forming in the pit of Lucifer's stomach. He'd been too reckless for his own good, showing his wings to Chloe just because he could, and now telling Charlotte everything out of spite. It couldn't possibly end well, he knew it, and yet he acted on his anger anyway.

Upon entering the cool concrete interior of the underground garage, images of it all blowing up into his face flashed through his mind. His throat contracted painfully, and he had to clear it, trying to get a hold of his raging emotions.

Quite frankly, for all of his existence, up until this point, he had hardly bothered with considering consequences of his actions. Even if they had caught up to him rather unpleasantly, he had always been quick to move on. This time, however, it was different.

This time the perspective of losing so much that he had grown to care for—of losing Chloe—filled him with unspeakable dread. He had to do everything he could not to let it happen, even if he utterly despised how selfish a decision it was.

Apparently, he was unable to escape his own self-centredness, no that it surprised him. His dear Dad only knew how much he hated himself sometimes.


There was something quite unfamiliar in the air between Chloe and Lucifer after they entered her car. Ever since yesterday, they hadn't shared so little space all alone, and Chloe wasn't sure how she felt about sitting just a feet from the Devil himself.

A ride to Joel Andrews' house felt painfully long, only punctuated by an awkward lengthy silence. Chloe's mind was stuck in that weird state, resembling a thought limbo of some sort, in which the man next to her still felt like just her old partner, even despite the fact that she knew now about the Devil thing. She tried to convince herself that she had come to terms with it, yet every time it became harder to do.

Moreover, now she also had to do something with what she had heard from Marcus. Marcus, who was more than ready to start something with her, and a part of her wanted it too. Chloe hated to admit it, but she was starved for even a little affection. It'd been ages since she had been with someone, and her relationship with her emotionally unavailable partner was hardly promising.

Chloe sighed, knowing well that letting that train of thought continue would only distract her more. She needed to stop it, and the best way to do so would be to focus on something else. For instance,she could talk with Lucifer about something that wasn't connected to the highly ambiguous nature of their relationship.

There still was a lot of questions she had for him, and now was as good a time as ever to do it. "So—am I the only one who knows?," she finally decided to ask, careful to keep her gaze on the road ahead.

Lucifer kept quiet for a long moment, which for Chloe felt like eternity. "Does it matter?," he finally said quietly, and Chloe could easily tell that he was on edge for some reason.

Was it her fault? Or maybe it was about Charlotte, whom Chloe had spotted Lucifer was talking to? She pursed her lips, wondering what could've happened when she had had her conversation with Marcus.

"To me, it does," she said firmly, her grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly.

Lucifer heaved a sigh, still trying to avoid looking at her. "No, you're not the only one," he admitted as if in defeat, and Chloe hated to hear him like that.

Part of her was furious that she had basically been trying to interrogate her partner, who seemed just as much out of his element as she felt. At the same time, however, she really needed that information—if there was someone, anyone, whom she could share some of her thoughts with, she could piece it all together way more easily.

She risked throwing a glance at Lucifer, but he remained turned away from her, towards the window. "There is—," he started, yet hesitated for a second before continuing, "—one more person who knows. And it doesn't say much actually, as I am far from discreet, but she's chosen to come to terms with the truth and continued treating me," he confided cautiously, his voice unnaturally steady.

"'She', 'treating'?," Chloe repeated, raising her eyebrows.

She was expecting a tease concerning her alleged jealousy, but he seemed to weirdly not pay it any mind. "As in medical terms, Detective," he just explained stoically.

Chloe frowned at that. Missing such an opportunity for some banter was very unlike him. "Linda?"

"Yes, and considering her expertise and experience, I would strongly advise you to talk to her," he said quickly, stubbornly refusing to look away from the window.

Chloe was about to comment on his troubling behaviour, before his words fully registered. "Actually—that may be quite a good idea, thanks." She nodded, glancing at him.

For a moment she tried to recall when Lucifer could've revealed his devilish self to the doctor, having a feeling that she should know the answer. And then it hit her why she should've guessed that. "Oh, I remember. You mentioned back then that you thought you broke your therapist," she muttered in hopes of distracting Lucifer, who was quite clearly lost in his thoughts at this point.

"That's how it looked like at the time," he admitted reluctantly, but he must've been surprised by Chloe's recalling of his words if his sudden glance at her was any indication.

Upon their eyes meeting briefly, Chloe couldn't stop the corners of her mouth raiding slightly. "Somehow, I'm not really surprised," she said deadpan, trying to lighten the mood somehow, albeit fruitlessly. Yet, more and more details of that investigation started appearing in the front of her mind. "Wait—wasn't it that case when a murder weapon vanished into thin air?" A brief twitch on Lucifer's face confirmed her suspicions, but she had to ask: "Did you have something to do with this?"

"Perhaps." Lucifer looked away again, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Okay. So, what was it? The weapon."

"Oh, just my sister's blade," he said as if he wasn't just describing a divine object.

Chloe's eyebrows raised again. "Your sister's?," she echoed, not expecting such an answer.

"Azrael's. Before you ask, she is the Angel of Death and her beloved toy had a rather unpleasant influence on humans—wherever it appeared, it always ended up in bloodshed," he explained calmly, but Chloe could see some of his normal self slowly creeping back. "I thought it was hidden safely, but someone dug it up. Luckily, I've got rid of the bloody thing."

Despite her relief at Lucifer's verbosity, it was quite a piece of information to digest. "Okay, that's—a lot, again," Chloe couldn't help but say, trying to make sense of what he had just told her. "First of all, the Angel of Death is a woman?"

"Well, not a woman per se, but she's certainly female," Lucifer said pointedly.

Chloe was looking at the road with wide eyes. "Wow, that's—a twist. I thought that angels were all men—male," she corrected herself promptly.

Lucifer snorted lightly, a look of light exasperation showing on his face. "It's not my fault that Jews were not really into feminism back in the day," he said with a little bitter smile, which Chloe found comforting nonetheless. "Besides, I have a mother as well, Detective. So it's not like Heaven was one huge male-only party."

"A mother?" That was a lot to take in for Chloe at once. "So Charlotte really was your mother?," she asked, recalling all the instances when her partner had called the lawyer his mother. His explanation back then had sounded a bit flimsy, and she would love to get to know the truth. "But—how's that even possible?"

Lucifer winced at her words, as if her mention of Charlotte bothered him somehow. For a moment, Chloe wished she hadn't said anything about the woman, her curiosity, however, won over her unwillingness to make her partner uncomfortable.

"She escaped from Hell, where Dad banished her, and she got into the body of Charlotte Richards," Lucifer told her reluctantly, a shadow passing through his face. "But she's already gone and Charlotte is back herself. Moreless," he added quietly, one of his hands curling into a fist.

Chloe wanted to ask what he meant by that, but she bit her tongue, sensing that it was for some reason a difficult subject for him. In the end, she just opted to share her observation with him: "You make it sound so—casual, that whole conversation."

Lucifer sighed again, his fingers fidgeting slightly. "Because it is all simply my life, Detective."

There was heaviness to his words, as if he felt bad with admitting that, which puzzled Chloe. She pursed her lips, a sense of guilt creeping into her heart. "I was just—I—I know you always made those comments and weird remarks, it's just now that I actually know the context and that they are true, they sound so—serious," she explained, feeling the need to assure him that there was nothing wrong with who he was. Or, at least that there shouldn't be. "Way more than your manner of speaking suggests."

Lucifer's face filled with worry, and he leaned away from her ever so slightly. Weird. "Would you like me to—?" There was a strange flash of uncertainty in his eyes, seeing which Chloe couldn't even bear to let him finish the question.

"No," she said firmly, giving him a serious look. Even if she was currently going through a rough patch with all that had happened lately, she was more than capable of being a highly functioning adult. "No, Lucifer, you don't have to walk on eggshells. I just—have to get used to it, that's all." She shrugged, her eyes back on the road. "And slowly process all of it. But it's like I told you yesterday—I don't want to lose it, whatever it is that we have, not now, when everything is still so confusing."

The only answer that she got from him was a stiff nod, and when she glanced briefly back in his direction, his attention was back on a row of houses stretching outside the passenger window. She didn't know how to interpret his behaviour, but she had to believe his silence wasn't an indicator of dismissing her assurance. Besides, Lucifer not talking shouldn't have bothered her so much, since he usually struggled to keep his mouth shut.

Despite that, the silence between them felt awkward, more so than ever. It was almost as if a rift opened between them, one that only kept widening.

Joel Andrews' house appeared in her line of sight, and Chloe wondered if they would be able to do a search in such an atmosphere. Maybe leaving the precinct wasn't such a good idea, after all.

The unbearable weight settled on Chloe's shoulders. She had to deal with so much more at the moment than she would like to. It all just came crashing down at her.

Just focus on the damn investigation, she ordered herself, when they finally stopped at the driveway.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed it.

See you next week!