"You didn't speak to him yet," Amenadiel stated from behind Oriel.
"Life was much more fun when the celestial stalking was done somewhat covertly. Does heaven take an interest in everyone like this or is it just me?" Oriel asked as she turned around. She had been wandering through a patch of trees at the base of Glastonbury Tor; the area that she now called home.
"You brought this on yourself, Oriel – a long time ago," the angel replied seriously.
"Did I?" she countered angrily with a toss of her head, her blue-green eyes flaring. "Lucifer found me, remember; how, I don't know. I do know I didn't conjure him up, call on him, or even open a door and invite him in."
"You didn't exactly turn him away," he told her with an icy gaze.
Unintimidated, she shrugged, "He's a great conversationalist."
"You said you were going to speak to him again, Oriel," Amenadiel said, redirecting the conversation.
"And I will, in time. It's not like he's going anywhere," Oriel stated.
"Lucifer's little stunt has gone on long enough. Every day you don't talk to him is another day closer," the angel began to say.
"To all hell breaking loose?" she broke in. "I'm not stupid, Amenadiel. If it was a dire situation you wouldn't be here talking to me, you'd be dealing with Lucifer yourself right now."
"It's only a matter of time. Surely you can see that," Amenadiel responded.
"I don't foresee things as well as some of my kind – I don't have that gift. I can only follow the paths for a bit," Oriel explained to him as she cupped her hand and caught some sunlight that was streaming through the leaves. "I can see where things may lead … if nothing changes."
"Then you can see that Lucifer needs to go back to hell. Otherwise, he may get hurt," the angel replied seriously and looked at her with annoyance. "I'm sorry if that messes with your plans."
"Amenadiel, I don't have any plans. If you'd put aside your disdain for me for a short time, you'd see that we actually do sort of want the same thing," she told him with a glare and opened her fingers to let the bright light spill through them.
"Then why are you wasting time?" Amenadiel asked.
"I have never followed your brother around like a lapdog or besotted schoolgirl and I'm not about to start. If you don't like that, go talk to him yourself….AGAIN!" Oriel said angrily and disappeared.
"Penny for your thoughts, detective," Lucifer said as they drove out to a crime scene about a week after Oriel's visit to Lux. "You're awfully quiet."
"I've just been thinking about the other day … at Lux," Chloe answered.
"Ooh, do tell," he replied with interest.
"I'm wondering how your ex left the bar without anyone seeing her. Did she fly?" she asked.
"Don't be silly, Oriel doesn't have wings and she's not my ex," he answered.
"Not your ex?" Chloe pressed. "You obviously know each other very well."
"It's complicated," Lucifer told her shortly with a sideways glance.
"I'll bet. Having to explain that bartender of yours and having some fun with the bar stragglers, not to mention the shrink must be exhausting for you," she guessed. "Why she would put up with it, and you, is a whole other question."
"She knows I am the very devil," he said with a smirk.
"You think that makes your actions acceptable?" she asked incredulous with her eyebrows raised.
"And possibly understandable," Lucifer said nodding.
"You really are full of yourself, do you know that?" Chloe questioned.
"It's not all about me, no matter what you might think. Oriel's free to do whatever, and whomever, she wants," he told her with a smile.
"I'm sure she was happy to hear that," she replied with a look on her face that said otherwise.
"It seems to work," he said with a slight shrug and got out of the car.
A few hours later, Lucifer leaned up against the car as Chloe finished up gathering what evidence and information she could from the area. As she came up next to him, he remained staring off into the distance as if he was searching for something. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Something's not quite right," he said and glanced around again.
"Everything looks fine to me," Chloe replied as she looked around. "Same as usual."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker in the distance. "Stay here," he told Chloe as he dashed off with inhuman speed.
"What are you doing here?" Lucifer asked as he strode up.
"Waiting for you," Oriel said plainly and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I didn't want to interrupt."
"If you wanted to see me, you could've waited at Lux," he told her.
"We both know that's not a good idea," she said with a short laugh.
"Oh, I don't know about that," he replied with a smile. "You and Maze seemed to get along during your last visit."
"In case you've forgotten, she wanted me there. Having completed the task she set me, I doubt it my sudden appearance would go as well," Oriel answered. "Do you ever wonder who would win that battle?"
"I try not to think about that," Lucifer stated as he looked into her eyes. He then changed the subject. "Seeing as how you stayed around, you must really miss me even though you don't want to admit it."
"I went home and came back," Oriel answered cheerfully her red hair blowing in the breeze.
"You really, really missed me," he replied as she laughed. "What do you want Oriel?"
"To talk more although that won't be happening now," she told him her attention now directed over his shoulder as Chloe walked up to them. "Can you give me some time, Lucifer? Please."
"I'm in the middle of solving a crime right now," he said as Oriel looked on with an amused smile. "I'll be at Lux all night. Meet me there."
An awkward silence overtook the conversation as Chloe joined the pair; the stillness was broken by Chloe clearing her throat and looking up a Lucifer.
"Ah, yes. Oriel, this is Detective Chloe Decker. Detective, Oriel," he said for introductions.
"Nice to meet you, Chloe," Oriel said and then turned her attention back to Lucifer. "No, I'm not meeting you at Lux or waiting for you there. You know better than to ask that."
"Oriel, I have a business to run," he said hotly.
"A crime to solve; a business to run," she replied. "I get it, Lucifer; you're busy. Welcome to the world. I am not talking to you at Lux. Can't they manage without you for a short time?"
"I am expected to be there," Lucifer explained. While the pair verbally sparred, Chloe stood a few steps away watching. Although she remained silent, she was silently impressed that Oriel held her own and didn't fall all over Lucifer the way most women seemed to.
"Pretend you're bored and just don't show up. I've been told that it works out okay and after all, it's just for a couple of hours … not years," Oriel said with a challenging smirk on her face. Lucifer said nothing but his eyes burned red at her.
"I'm glad you see it my way," Oriel continued smiling broadly, her own eyes bright. "I've never seen the Hollywood sign, so I'll see you there. Around nine-ish."
"Fine," he conceded petulantly.
"Your staring eye game doesn't seem to work with her," Chloe said as she and Lucifer walked back to the car.
"Some days nothing works with Oriel," he replied sullenly. "Today just happens to be one of those days."
Chloe stifled a sarcastic comment and instead just nodded her head in silence.
