Chloe was awake before her alarm went off. As if she could sleep in on a day like today. She almost wanted to curl up in bed and avoid the entire thing, but she knew that was impossible. Today was too important for her to miss. Her mother was in town, which usually meant extra stress, but not today. Today she needed her mom. It didn't seem to matter how old one got, your parents were always your parents.

"Do you have everything?" Penelope asked. Chloe just nodded. Dan had already picked up Trixie to drive her to school and they were just about to leave when the door burst open to reveal Maze looking only slightly scarier than usual, but it was enough to make Penelope jump.

"Good lord!" Penelope exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her mouth in surprise.

"This is my roommate," Chloe explained to her mother. "Maze, could you please try not to be so scary when we have company."

"Car bomb," Maze said as if she were commenting on the weather.

"Come again?" Chloe asked.

"Already did this morning," Maze said, making Chloe regret her choice of words. "Also there was a bomb in your car. I think it was her."

"Her who?" Penelope asked. "What's going on? Is this about the trial?"

"Different case," Chloe told her mother, making a mental note to embarrass Maze at the next opportunity. If indeed it was possible to embarrass Maze at all.

"Can I talk to you outside?" Chloe growled at Maze who agreed easily. Chloe turned to her mother and added, "I'll be right back."

Shooing Maze out of the door she'd just entered by, Chloe shut it behind her. Once she was sure her mother was safely out of earshot, Chloe rounded on the demon and put on her best parent lecture voice.

"You can't, I repeat CAN NOT talk about stuff like this in front of my mother," Chloe stated firmly.

"Right," Maze replied slowly, clearly immune to her parent-voice. "Yeah. I got no idea how that mom thing is supposed to go so… the point is that I think Lucifer's mom is trying to kill you."

Chloe groaned. She wasn't even sure if she was more upset about the bomb in her car or about the way Maze had acted in front of her mother. Penelope didn't need to be worrying about car bombs on a day like today.

"What did you do with the bomb?" Chloe asked calmly.

"Moved it," Maze said with a grin.

"Maze you can't blow people up for fun," Chloe groaned.

"It's okay," Maze smiled. "I promise to make sure Amenaideal isn't in his car when I blow it up."

Chloe took a deep breath. Celestial beings fighting other celestial beings was outside her jurisdiction. She decided to let that slide. She had bigger things to worry about today.

"Thanks for finding it," Chloe said because she knew Maze had very likely saved her life today. "Mom and I have to get to the court house."

Maze shrugged. "Okay, I'll just go tell Lucifer then. He's gonna be so mad." She laughed as if watching the devil get pissed was gonna make her day, which Chloe reminded herself it probably was.

She also had to admit, if only to herself, that Lucifer had been right to worry. His mother really did consider Chloe a threat worth eliminating.

With a cheerful farewell, Maze left and Chloe went back inside to tell her mom the bomb was a fake prank organized by some ex-con she'd put away. Penelope didn't need more to worry about today.

"What a strange prank," Penelope commented. "It isn't even funny."

"People are weird," Chloe replied, trying to kill the topic. "We really should get going or we are going to be late." Penelope agreed and they were almost to the car when another one drove up and parked in front of her house.

Chloe groaned. What now? She had just enough time to notice that it wasn't Lucifer's car before the driver got out.

"Oh Chloe," Dr. Martin said. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Then why did you just park in my driveway?" Chloe asked.

"Well, yes. I suppose I did expect to see you. I just expected to knock on your door and then see you instead of seeing you here in the driveway before I even get out of the car," Dr. Martin replied. Chloe could tell the doctor was nervous. She had no idea what it was about and didn't have the time to find out.

"I was hoping we could talk," Dr. Martin said and it was clear to Chloe this was why she'd come.

"I don't really have time right now," Chloe admitted. "Can I come by later?"

"Sure," Dr. Martin said, but Chloe could hear the disappointment in her voice. There was also something else there. Something new that made Chloe turn to her mom and tell her to get into the car.

"I'll just be a minute," Chloe said, closing the car door on her mother before walking a few feet to stand beside Dr. Martin and ask, "What's this about?"

"I know," Dr. Martin said. "And I know that you know too. Lucifer he- he showed me his face."

This was WAY more than Chloe had time for. She was also feeling something else. Something unpleasant. It couldn't be jealousy. So what if Lucifer had felt comfortable showing Dr. Martin his real face while all Chloe had seen were wings. It didn't mean anything. If he still had his wings he would have shown her those instead. It was just now he had only one option. That was all.

Chloe shook her head in hopes of clearing it. She so didn't have time for this today.

"If I get through this day without being blown up we can talk okay?" Chloe said trying to be kind rather than rushed. She was pretty sure she failed. "I just can't miss court today."

"Alright," Dr. Martin smiled. "I'll see you later then."

"Definitely," Chloe replied, trying to smile back. Once Dr. Martin turned to re-enter her car Chloe made a dash for hers.

She started the ignition, turned to back up and then almost jumped a foot in the air. The devil was standing at her window with a stupid grin on his face. Maze clearly hadn't told him about the bomb yet.

"Well hello, Detective," Lucifer's voice wasn't quite as clear through the glass but still very distinctly his.

Chloe rolled down her window just enough to be heard clearly. "We are running late," she said. "You can either get in, or get out."

"Oh in, definitely," the devil replied easily before opening the backseat door and climbing in. "Where are we going?"

"Court," Chloe said sharply as she began backing up again.

Despite being rather annoyed at him, Chloe found herself strangely glad that Lucifer was here. He was her opposite in many ways but he did seem to have a way of looking at things that calmed her and today of all days she was going to need it.

Chloe parked the car at the courthouse and got out. It was okay. They hadn't missed anything. She had just finished telling herself it would be okay when she got a call from Dan at the precinct. It wasn't good news.

"Our key witness's head was just delivered to Dan in the mail," Chloe told her mother.

"What trial are we attending?" Lucifer asked as if asking which type of soda went the best with gin.

"The man who killed my father," Chloe told him coolly. That seemed to sober the devil up. Then she groaned. "Urg could this day get any worse?"

"In my experience it always can," Lucifer replied, but his voice was kinder now. He hadn't shown up knowing she'd need his support today, but at least he seemed to have realized it now.

"We better go in," Penelope said. Chloe just nodded. There was nothing they could do about the head in a box now. Lopez would have to see if she could get any useful forensics from it.

The three of them sat down, and Chloe had just managed to calm herself down again, when the doors of the courtroom opened and revealed the one person that could make her day worse: Lucifer's mother pretending to be attorney Charlotte Richards.

"Why is she here?" Chloe turned to whisper into the devil's ear.

"I have no idea," Lucifer whined.

"But she's a goddess right?" Chloe asked, clinging to whatever hope she could. "Not a lawyer. So she won't be as good a lawyer as Charlotte Richard's reputation."

"Correct, but mother is for sure worse than any lawyer," Lucifer answered, crushing Chloe's hope. "Mum won't care about her human client. She has some other agenda."

"What are you two whispering?" Penelope asked. Chloe hoped she hadn't heard any details as she turned to her mother. "Does Lucifer know her?"

"Um yeah," Chloe answered. "It's a bit complicated." She hadn't a clue how to explain to her mother that the woman who looked young enough to be Lucifer's sister was actually his immortal goddess mother.

"Well I hope it doesn't affect the case," Penelope replied.

"Me too," Chloe agreed.

She watched as the goddess acted the part of a lawyer. She didn't call for a mistrial but rather let it go ahead. Chloe just couldn't figure out why. With the witness dead, moving to a dismissal made the most sense. What could her motive possibly be? They breaked for lunch and she and Lucifer went outside. Chloe needed some air.

"I just wish I knew her angle," Chloe was saying to Lucifer while they walked outside together. "Then I'd know what to do."

"If I had to guess I'd say she wants to use you to get to me somehow," Lucifer replied.

"Well that seems obvious," Chloe agreed. "I can't be sure, but I think she tried to kill me."

"What!" Lucifer exclaimed. He looked hella furious and Chloe wondered if maybe now had not been the right time to share such information. Though her telling him was probably better than Maze giving him the exact details.

"Maze found a bomb under my car this morning," Chloe offered. "She thinks it was your mum."

"And you thought I was being crazy with all the hovering!" Lucifer exclaimed. "See I told you she was dangerous!"

"Right now, I'm more worried about her messing with this trial than coming after me," Chloe replied.

"Well I'm not," Lucifer snapped. "This trial isn't worth your life."

"I don't think she wants to kill me anymore," Chloe added thoughtfully.

"What makes you so sure?" Lucifer asked.

"I'm alive for one," Chloe answered. "She's a goddess and one car bomb is actually a pretty lame way to try and kill someone. If she was really serious I'd be dead already. No, taking over this trial is about something more complicated than simply killing me."

Lucifer didn't say anything but Chloe had this funny feeling that he wasn't going to leave her side until the threat had passed. She almost wanted to whine about it. A guardian devil was so much more annoying than an evil one. Even so it was still sweet, how much he cared.

"Should we confront her?" Lucifer asked. "We could ask what she's planning. Knowing mom she might actually explain."

"No! Bad idea," Chloe replied frantically. "While court is in session, no contact with the other side. It could ruin everything."

"Very well, Detective," Lucifer said. She wasn't sure if he sounded sad or simply passive when he replied. She was actually surprised he'd agreed so easily, but she didn't have time to dwell on it just then.

There was still a bit of time before court resumed. Chloe decided to head back to the precinct and go over the case again. She wasn't remotely surprised that Lucifer intended to follow her. She had a devil for a shadow.

Chloe checked in with Dan at the precinct and told him what was going on. She couldn't very well tell him the goddess of all creation had taken over the defense, so she just gave him the name Charlotte Richards. They had some information on the severed head. Dan said he'd look into it. Meanwhile she was due back in court.

"Did you notice Detective Douche made a funny face when you mentioned Charlotte?" Lucifer was saying as they drove back to the courthouse.

"He knows her reputation," Chloe replied. "I couldn't exactly explain the rest."

"I think it's more than that," Lucifer counted. He was very clearly having mixed emotions about this whole thing. Chloe couldn't blame him. The goddess was quite the mother to have.

"I still say I should take the stand," Lucifer said for like the third time in the last hour. "It could help."

"Horrible idea," Chloee explained for the third time. "That's your mom. If anyone can get you to say something you didn't mean to say it's a mother. Parents are still parents even when you're part of the immortal family who started the universe."

"I like to think I have a little more self control than that," Lucifer huffed. Chloe couldn't help but laugh.

"You, self control?" she sniggered. Lucifer looked rather annoyed about that but it wasn't enough to make him leave. With the bomb threat hanging over her, Chloe had a feeling there wasn't anything on earth that could make him leave her side right now.

"What about Detective Douche then?" Lucifer asked. "Could he help on the stand?"

Chloe wondered why, after bringing it up three times before, this was the first time Lucifer had mentioned Dan. She suspected the devil hated admitting it when Dan was useful so it had taken this long for him to suggest Dan could help in a way he could not.

"He is scheduled to testify later today," Chloe explained.

"Oh," Lucifer replied. "So there really isn't anything we can do?"

"Nothing," Chloe sighed.

"Frustrating."

"Oh yes," Chloe agreed.

Parking the car and going in, Chloe took her seat beside Penelope, who hadn't left. The devil sat on her other side. The trial continued with Dan taking the stand. It went as well as Chloe could have hoped. 'Charlotte' didn't question Dan. She seemed to be waiting for something.

It wasn't until 'Charlotte' called Lucifer Morningstar to the stand that Chloe suddenly knew this is what she'd been waiting for. And just as Chloe had suspected this was a bad combination. It hadn't been bad in quite the way she'd expected though. His mother hadn't gotten Lucifer to slip up and say something he shouldn't have but rather the goddess had known something she shouldn't have. 'Charlotte' knew that Chloe had been first on the murder scene. The goddess tried to get her son to lie, but even before Lucifer spoke Chloe knew he wouldn't do it. The devil never lied. This was why Charlotte had asked Lucifer the question rather than Dan. Dan would have lied for her, Chloe felt sure of it, even if she hadn't wanted him to, but Lucifer always told the truth.

They were doomed. It was at that moment that Chloe realized her fathers killer would go free. Between the missing witness and this new information coming to light the chances of justice for her father were falling fast!

She wanted to be mad at Lucifer. It would have been so easy to simply blame him, but she knew that wasn't fair. Lucifer had done nothing wrong. Even so, the reality of losing hurt. It was like she'd failed her father all over again.

Chloe wanted to know how the information had leaked. After all there were so few people who knew she'd been first on the scene. The report said it had been Dan. With so few suspects Chloe felt sure she'd at least be able to find the leak even if she couldn't prevent the damage it caused.

The court took a recess and Chloe got up and left quickly. She wasn't surprised that the devil came running after her.

"Detective!" he called. With a deep sigh, Chloe stopped and turned around. "Ah, yes, okay, hi. I- well I'm sorry I didn't want my testimony to hurt you I just-"

"You couldn't lie, I know," Chloe said. She was surprised to find no anger in her voice, only disappointment.

"Right but I have another idea," Lucifer continued. "If we can prove Perry was behind killing Boris it could fix everything."

"Dan is already working on it," Chloe explained. "They are following a lead on the blade used to chop off the head."

"Right well maybe I can help with that," Lucifer added cheerfully. Chloe tried to smile back. She wasn't sure she managed it.

"Maze too," Lucifer said. "Together we can get the douche on track."

Chloe couldn't help but wonder if this meant he was actually going to leave her alone. She could see the dilemma on his face.

"I'll be fine," Chloe told him, hoping for at least an hour without her shadow. "I'll keep my phone on and call if anything changes."

"You sure?" Lucifer asked.

"I don't think she's trying to kill me anymore," Chloe reminded him. "Go help Dan."

The dilemma was there in his eyes again, but she saw it resolve. "I won't be long," he said quickly then ran off.

Chloe was trying to be hopeful that Dan would find a way to link Boris's death to Perry, but she was failing. She just wished she knew what the goddess had planned before she took the stand in a few hours.

To her great relief, Lucifer returned before the court resumed. She was hoping he'd have news from Dan since he hadn't texted her yet.

"Good news and disturbing news I'm afraid," Lucifer said by way of greeting.

"Good news first," Chloe decided.

"We got the intel on who killed Boris from the Chinese mob," Lucifer began. "It was rather fun. Maze defeated someone named Kang and got two new swords."

Chloe just blinked at him. "Did you find who killed Boris?"

"Yes," Lucifer said. "But he was kinda already dead."

That was it then. Chloe hadn't realized she'd still been holding out hope until she felt it die.

"How is that good news?" Chloe grumbled.

"Right well see the other news is- well," Lucifer said, clearly not keen on sharing what he had deemed 'disturbing' news.

"Just tell me," Chloe sighed. "It can't be any worse than that."

"Don't be so sure about that," Lucifer replied. "See… well… It seems Maze witnessed- that is to say she saw them together at the bar and put two and two together."

"What are you trying to say Lucifer!?" Chloe snapped.

"Mom seduced your ex husband to get intel on the case," Lucifer said very fast as if saying it faster would make it less disturbing. Didn't work.

"Oh god," Chloe groaned.

"Yes I imagine he wouldn't be too happy about it either," Lucifer agreed.

It felt like everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong. Chloe wanted to be angry. She wanted to shoot something, but more than that she wanted to cry. Her eyes remained dry through sheer willpower as she turned to walk back into the courtroom. They would not see her cry. She couldn't bear the idea of giving them the satisfaction of that. Besides, it was her turn to testify. This wasn't going to be good.

It was just then that the goddess showed up.

"We need to talk," the goddess said to Chloe before she'd moved more than a step. Then 'Charlotte' turned to Lucifer and added "Alone."

"You tried to blow her up!" Lucifer snapped. "So no, you can't be alone with her."

"It's alright Lucifer," Chloe said calmly. This is what she'd been waiting for. She wanted to know what the goddess's angle was and now here was her chance.

"It is most certainly not alright," Lucifer snapped.

"Stay here, I'll be right back," Chloe told him, then turned to walk away with the goddess in a lawyer's body.

Once out of hearshot for both the devil and anyone else, they stopped and the goddess turned to Chloe.

"You're losing badly," the goddess said. "Everything is circumstantial. Lucifer's unwillingness to lie for you basically handed me the non-guilty verdict. This trial is over."

Chloe knew she was right. She just wasn't sure why she was rubbing it in. She decided to remain silent and wait to learn what the goddess was getting at.

"I may have a solution for you," not Charlotte continued. "My client doesn't exactly know we are winning, but he does know he is facing the death penalty and we both know he's a coward. I could use the possibility of a lethal injection to get him to plead guilty."

Chloe knew that the goddess of all creation did not remotely care about the life or death of her human client. This left but one reason for her actions.

"What do you want?" Chloe asked firmly.

"Well to put it simply I want you gone," the goddess said. "But as it's become clear to me that killing you isn't an option, I've come up with this rather marvelous solution." She was smiling in an oddly self satisfactory way, which Chloe found quite off putting.

"What exactly does 'me gone' mean?" Chloe clarified.

"Gone from Lucifer's life," the goddess snapped. "You want your father's killer to go to prison? Well then you have to cut Lucifer out of your life. Tell him you never want to see him again and don't respond to any of his attempts to contact you. Break all ties."

Chloe could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"But you're his mother!" Chole exclaimed.

"Yes and as his mother I know what's best for him," she said curtly. "He belongs with his family, not here on earth prancing around with his fathers pet project."

Chloe could hear the goddesses' contempt for humans in the tone of her voice and it made her mad. No scratch that it pissed her right the eff off!

"A mother is supposed to unconditionally love and support her children," Chloe reprimanded the goddess. "A mother should value their freedom and happiness above all else. What you are doing is taking away his freedom and his happiness. Lucifer likes it here on earth. It's his home."

"Nonsense," the goddess said with a huff.

"How can you be so blind?" Chloe asked incredulously. "So blind and so selfish."

"That isn't an answer," the goddess replied, clearly growing impatient. "Either break ties with Lucifer, call him a liar on the stand whatever it takes, or your father's killer goes free."

It wasn't a choice. The moment she'd heard the words Chloe knew what she was going to do, yet giving up what she had to give up to do it was going to hurt. With a few simple words she expressed her choice and then turned and walked back into the courtroom.

This ended up being much similar than I thought it would but I think different enough to be intriguing. What do you think?

Sneak Peek Chapter 45

When court resumed Lucifer sat in the audience to watch the detective take the stand. He wasn't sure what exactly his mother had wanted to talk to Chloe about but he felt sure that it wasn't good. When mother got up to question the detective on the stand Lucifer couldn't help but tense up.

"Yes that's right he's a civilian consultant for the NYPD," Chloe replied to mother's question. "We solve cases together."

"How is he qualified for that role?" mom asked.

"He has good instincts," Chloe replied. "He understands people's desires."

"I assume he also studied law enforcement?" mom asked.

"Not to my knowledge," Chloe replied.

Lucifer wasn't exactly sure what mom was getting at here.

"So he has a professional background that is somehow relevant to law enforcement," mom continued.

"He owns a nightclub," Chloe explained.