In Chapter 1 I forgot the usual spiel - I don't own anything except my own words. Neil Gaiman and Vertigo own Lucifer.

Tonight's episode was awesome - I'm really liking this show, obviously! I had most of this chapter planned before it aired, but I rushed to get it out while it was still "hot." I hope you like it still. Thanks for the kind reviews and follows.


Saturday morning began beautifully. Against the norm, Lucifer woke in his bed with no companions. This would normally fill him with the need to immediately have a foursome to make up for it, but on this day he didn't mind at all. Detective Decker finally admitted the truth in front of her face – that he was indeed the devil. Oddly enough, her persistent lack of acceptance had made him feel like he was keeping something from her, even though he had always told her the truth about himself. Things could only go up from here.

He finally had a free moment around lunch. Who knew running a club took actual work? There was only so much he could make Maze do in his stead. Still, there was something thrilling about mundane tasks. It was so…human. If Lucifer weren't so devilishly handsome, the constant grin he wore would certainly look foolish. His musings had lasted all the way to the doorbell of Chloe's house. The house was particularly nice for someone with a cop's salary, but the desk agent at the precinct had assured him this was the correct address. Still smiling at his good fortune, Lucifer rang the bell.

The door was flung open, a haggard looking Chloe peering at him from the other side. Her eyes widened when she realized it was him. "What are you doing here?" There was none of the usual edge in her tone, just some new, unidentified emotion. Curious, but Lucifer would not be deterred. "Morning, Detective!" he practically sang. "We made such good progress last night. I think we're ready to talk about the whole partner thing again. What do you say?"

She stared. He waited what he felt was an appropriate amount of time for an answer, then filled the silence himself. "This place is amazing. Do you take bribes?" He peered over her shoulder into the spacious home. Finally she had something to say. "No, I don't take bribes!" Her glare was more welcome than he thought it would be. The same moment he grinned at her ire, she seemed to remember something and her expression shuttered. "You need to leave," she said, suddenly not making eye contact. "Leave?" he repeated, voice pitching higher in his incredulity. "I just got here."

Before the detective had a chance to retort or continue her strange silent act, a different voice piped up from behind her. "Lucifer!" Trixie cheered, pushing past her mom and onto the porch, little arms going around Lucifer's legs. "I'm glad you came, mom's making sandwiches and tea and cookies!"

Lucifer patted her head once, then removed her arms from around him. Even the small human's antics were amusing today. "That sounds delightful, tiny human." He glanced up at Chloe, only to see Chloe's horrified expression. If he had a heart, it would have dropped in that moment. "Detective, is something wrong?" he asked, once again trying to see over her shoulder. Maybe someone was in the house, threatening her and her child. The large home seemed empty.

"Trixie, go back inside," Chloe said, voice barely above a whisper. Trixie turned to her mom, a cute pout already in place. "But mooooom, I want Lucifer to have lunch with us! Your sandwiches are awesome, and he's funny!" she whined.

"I said go inside." Her voice was louder this time, and firm. "Yes mom," Trixie relented, the picture of crushed. "Bye, Lucifer."

Still in a decent mood, despite the detective's odd behavior, Lucifer actually returned the child's wave. "You know, your offspring isn't the worst I've met," he said, hoping she would warm up with the compliment.

"Stay away from her."

Lucifer blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me. And I'll say it again, please leave." Chloe's previous hesitancy seemed to have disappeared along with her child. And suddenly, Lucifer knew what new emotion he had seen in the detective's expression.

"Wait a minute," he said, the picture of disbelief. "You actually think I'd hurt her?"

Chloe said nothing for a long moment. He let out a surprised huff, very much against his will. "You really do."

It was clear that she didn't want to speak with him, but maybe the detective sensed the genuine hurt he felt. "I don't know what to think. You said it all along – you're the devil. Shouldn't I be afraid?"

Now he really was surprised. "Well, no, not really."

Chloe gave a mirthless laugh. "Right."

"Whatever you think of me, detective, do not for a second think I make a habit of harming children," Lucifer said, voice low and serious.
"You admitted you hate them," she pointed out, on a roll now with her accusations and no longer appearing afraid to be arguing with Satan himself.

Lucifer was getting in the groove of the argument, too. "Bloody hell, disliking something and actively harming it are different things," he said, waving an arm around. "The people I punish deserve it."

Chloe titled her head. "So you say. Who gets to decide what people deserve? You?"

Lucifer couldn't help it, he smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes. It's part of the job description, love."

"What gives you the right!" she retorted.

"Mmm, that would be God, dear." This silenced her again, and what color had risen to her face disappeared. She began breathing heavily. "Oh my God, I'm arguing with the devil. The actual devil." She leaned against the door jamb, suddenly feeling weak. Lucifer took pity on her. "As scintillating as shouting with you is, it's really rather rude to not invite me in."

"Um, no," she said, even as he pushed past her into the cavernous main room. He let out a little whistle. "Not sure I believe you about the bribes, darling."

"It's my mother's," she said from behind him, still not sounding herself. "Mmmhmm," he hummed, snooping around the room. "I believe your spawn mentioned tea?"

Without further goading, Chloe moved to the kitchen and began pouring him a glass. She was really not acting like herself, and it was beginning to bother him. There's nothing intriguing about submissiveness.

The tea stopped pouring into the cup as time slowed to a stop. "Oh, really? Twice in a week?" Lucifer snarked, looking around for his annoying brother. Sure enough, Amenadiel was in the living room next to the drab but expensive looking couch. "Back so soon?" Lucifer asked.

"Who is that?"

Both immortals spun to look at Chloe, who was alternating between staring that the suspended tea and the men in her living room.

"You can see him?"

"You can see me?"

She looked confused and still a little scared. "Shouldn't I? You're in my house."

Lucifer grinned. "Not many humans can see an angel who doesn't want to be seen. This is fascinating."

Amenadiel glared at Lucifer, his de-facto expression. "You told her who you are?"

"It's not like I hide who I am from any of the mortals, dear brother," Lucifer replied, barely containing a tired sigh at his brother's persistence. "I do go by my real name, and maybe occasionally tell people I'm the devil."

Amenadiel moved closer, still – as always – visibly angry with his brother. "You are too reckless, and your lack of care is causing chaos in Hell."

"Still on that, are we?" Lucifer asked breezily, ignoring his brother in favor of watching the detective's reaction to all of this. Other than her wide eyes, she seemed to not be reacting at all. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not going back?" Smirking at Chloe as he verbally poked his brother, Lucifer noticed a minute change in her expression. Her mouth opened just the tiniest bit, and a barely audible gasp slipped out. Lucifer glanced down at his neck, and sure enough, Amenadiel's sharp wing-tip was against his throat. "You forget your place, brother," the constantly irate angel hissed. "You are not supposed to enjoy Hell. It is your punishment, and the longer you defy Father the worse it will be for you."

Chloe's eyes tracked from the wings up to Lucifer's face, which now held a pinched expression. "That's rich," he said. "What more can Dad do, hmm? Throw me back in the pit? I'll just get out again. It's not like it was hard."

Amenadiel let out a fierce growl, and with more strength than a human could comprehend, slammed Lucifer up against the kitchen bar, cracking the tile under him. "You'll see, Lucifer. The longer you put off your duties, the worse it will be." There was a flapping sound and he was gone.

Lucifer huffed. "He's such a drama queen, that one." He looked to the side, remembering that the mortal in the room had witnessed everything. The detective was gripping the back of a chair, knuckles white. "I…I believed you before, but that...that was terrifying," she said in between shaky breaths.

"Yes, well, my brother is a douche," Lucifer offered, smile creeping back on his face. She really believed. Yes, she may be scared – which he so didn't get – but at least she was talking.

Surprising herself as well as Lucifer, Chloe laughed at his joke. "Yeah, I got that."

Lucifer approached her, hoping she wouldn't back away or cower. And wasn't that a thought – usually he relished striking fear into mortals. That was his job, his purpose. Yet, he wanted this human woman to like him, or at least not to fear him. Chloe didn't move. He pulled out the chair next to the one she still had in a death grip and sat down. "Now, detective, about that partnership," he wheedled. His grin couldn't get any bigger when her first reaction was to shoot him a look and pull out her own chair.