It was a long night indeed. An insightful night for Chloe that caused her to smile several times but also to burst into tears a few times when she found out just how much Lucifer had sacrificed for her.
He had made a deal with God to spare her life as he was bleeding out in the hangar after Malcolm had shot him, a deal that would have sent him back to Hell for all eternity had it not been for his mother escaping her cell and materializing in a human body on earth. The rational part of her brain still struggled to process the fact that who someone who had just bled out could come back to life - but he clearly had and he had never boasted about saving her. And now that she knew that Lucifer's mother had taken over the body of freshly murdered Charlotte Richards she finally understood his horror at her suggestion that he and Charlotte had slept together. She had to smile at those memories through her tears and for a second, Amenadiel was worried that all the information they were giving her about celestial beings was actually messing with her sanity.
He whispered as much into Maze's ear but she only shot him a disdainful look. 'You don't know Chloe the way I do' she said, loud enough for Chloe to hear and then asked her friend why she had smiled.
When Chloe explained why she had smiled, Maze started chuckling and drew Chloe's attention to Amenadiel who -sure enough- had disgust written all over his face just as Lucifer had those few times she had brought up Charlotte.
The lightness in the air disappeared again as Chloe started asking about how Lucifer had managed to save her from dying a horrible death from poisoning only two weeks or so earlier.
Amenadiel and Maze told her how he had asked them to stop his heart so he could retrieve the formula of the antidote from the professor and how he nearly had not made it back. It all seemed so clear now: the professor had told them that the formula only existed in his head and where else could Lucifer have got it from? He had even joked about his death when he had said 'You didn't die after all. That makes one of us.' How had she been able to ignore all of the signs? Lucifer hadn't lied to her once and how had she repaid him? By doubting him, sometimes even mocking him. Still, she also knew that he had never really had a true friend, someone who cared to spend time with him when he was down - at least she had done that for him on a few occasions.
They had been talking several hours about what had really been going on behind the scenes, so to speak, and Maze was still trying to get Chloe to drink vodka with them. Chloe, however, said that she needed a clear head to process all this information and that she didn't want alcohol to buffer the intensity of her emotional reactions to whatever they had to tell her.
Maze and Amenadiel had answered Chloe's many questions quite willingly but when she asked them what sort of event had driven Lucifer into a frightening self-destructing mode four months earlier, they exchanged a meaningful glance and didn't answer.
'What, guys? So it's OK to tell me how he died for me -TWICE- but now you won't tell me what happened to drive him to the brink of suicide? I didn't quite understand it back then but I know now more that Lucifer really wanted to be punished for something that day. And he didn't think I would understand. Ever. So it must have been something major, something that shook him to his very core! I just need to know, OK?'
Chloe pleaded with tearful eyes and while Amenadiel averted his gaze, Maze sighed and gave in.
'Chloe, before I tell you what happened I need you to know that he really didn't have a choice. And that he has felt guilty ever since. That's why he nearly didn't make it back from Hell with the formula.'
'You're scaring me, Maze. Just tell me, please' Chloe whispered.
It was Amenadiel who told her what had happened. He told her about how Uriel had come down to earth to blackmail Lucifer into sending his mother back to Hell unless he wanted Chloe to die.
So her car accident had been orchestrated. While Amenadiel explained about Uriel's ability to see patterns and use them to his advantage, Chloe couldn't help but berate herself. Again, she had dismissed Lucifer's concern for her in those days as signs of his (endearing) paranoia and had not taken him seriously. What was wrong with her? The rational part of her brain, however, told herself not to be too harsh on herself. How could an atheist like herself believe in angels? And in angels plotting to kill humans, nonetheless. She would have to ask about fate and free will and all of that later. At the moment, though, she needed to know about Uriel. Lucifer had never mentioned his name to her, even once. And that was not a good sign.
'But your mother is still here on earth and I'm still alive' Chloe said to Amenadiel as a sinking feeling, a premonition, settled in the pit of her stomach.
'Yes, indeed. Lucifer decided that he was not going to give either of you up so, in turn, Uriel was going to take you both: he was going to take mother back to Hell and he was going to take your life.' Amenadiel's voice was starting to get shakier with every sentence.
'So… Lucifer really didn't have a choice… he had to…' Amenadiel's voice trailed off.
'He killed his own brother?' Chloe knew the answer to her question but she needed to hear it anyway.
Amenadiel and Maze both had tears in their eyes as they nodded silently. Chloe started sobbing into her hands.
'An angel can hurt another angel' she whispered as she remembered Lucifer's words at the devil worshipping mansion, the day he had asked to see her back to check that she didn't have scars from cutting her angel wings off. 'Detective mode, detective mode' she thought to herself and that helped.
'And what happens when an angel kills another angel? Where does he go?' Chloe asked, slowly managing to keep her sobs under control.
'Well, Uriel had brought Azrael's blade with him - Azrael is the Angel of Death, our sister - and that is what Lucifer used to kill him. This particular weapon didn't just kill Uriel's body but destroyed his soul, as well. Annihilated him. No return to Heaven and not even Hell for him.' Maze explained.
Chloe could see that Amenadiel was still grieving the loss of his brother but she also noticed that he didn't seem to hold a grudge against Lucifer.
'I'm so sorry for your loss' she whispered as she regained some composure.
Amenadiel's head shot up in surprise and then he gave her a faint smile.
'I don't blame Lucifer, he was put in an impossible situation. I blame Father, though. He could have ended all this a long time ago if he simply stopped using us, his children, as pawns in some game, some master plan that he doesn't share with anyone…'
Amenadiel stopped abruptly and looked at Chloe with confusion.
'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to vent. You have enough to deal with as it is…' he apologized.
'No, Amenadiel. This is really helping me to understand your fucked up family. Excuse my French' Chloe replied, trying to smile at Amenadiel reassuringly.
'You can say that again! One fucked up family.' Maze repeated as she downed another shot of vodka. 'Are you sure you don't want one now?' she asked Chloe.
'No, thank you. I think I have enough to digest as it is. Do you guys mind if we call it a night? I think I need some time to think about everything I've learned tonight. And can we perhaps talk some more tomorrow? Amenadiel, I have lots of questions about fate and free will so perhaps you can help me out in that area? And do you think Linda would be OK to talk to me, too, Maze? She knows, right?'
Maze took her friend into her arms and squeezed her tight. 'I'm sure Linda will be happy to talk to you, Chloe. And you're doing so well, taking all of this in - for a human and an atheist, that is!' Chloe just nodded into Maze's shoulder and suddenly felt exhausted.
She dragged herself up the stairs as Maze ushered Amenadiel out of the door.
'Thank you, guys, for tonight. It really means a lot to me' she called down.
'Go to bed, Decker!' Maze bellowed from below.
Yeah, Chloe thought, like Lucifer is not going to be in every single minute of my dreams.