A/N: Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting! Epilogue next.
"I'm going to need you to breathe, in and out. In and out."
Lucifer glared at Chloe and her small smirk, shaking his head and following her from the car into the hospital. "I'm not 'freaking out' as you like to say, in fact I still don't see the big deal here."
Chloe grabbed his hand and squeezed, letting out a small laugh. Lucifer had always seemed to take emotional cues from her, looked for how she reacted to a situation before he did. Knowing what she did now, that he wasn't human, it made sense that he would be unsure of how to handle things so he would instead mimic those around him. All in all everything was quite calm right now, which meant that to him everything was perfectly fine. She was in labor, the contractions slowly and steadily getting stronger, but with her water not having broken the pain was more of a discomfort than anything. Hence Lucifer viewing this as a quick pit stop before they could go get some dinner and return to her home for a glass of his favorite whiskey.
Walking to the check in desk Lucifer leaned against a far wall and watched people mill about, eyes flickering over the strange mix of young and old, depressed and elated. So this was where humans went to die, and oddly enough give birth. It seemed strange to put both in the same place but if there was anything humans had taught him it was that they did whatever the hell they wanted with no rhyme or reason. Still though, putting the young and defenseless in with the sick didn't strike him as the most thought out decision. Humanity in general hadn't either.
"And is this daddy?"
Lucifer's head snapped to the nurse smiling brightly at him from in front of Chloe and he innocently quirked his head and raised his brows. "We're not sure, there's five more chaps that'll be showing soon for the reveal."
Chloe turned slowly with gritted teeth but he simply smiled at her, the bastard knew she wouldn't attack when there were witnesses. "He's joking," she laughed awkwardly to the woman now looking at her skeptically.
He chuckled when the woman looked back to him for conformation. "She's correct, I am joking. We're actually here to drop off whatever is inside her; I've decided I don't want it. You humans just pass them out for the right amount of money right? You even have little pet shops for them for people to look at them all?"
"An orphanage?" the woman asked, appalled.
Lucifer snapped his fingers and pointed to her. "Thank you! That's what they're called," he smiled. "Very helpful."
Chloe sighed and forced a smile, "If you could just check me in we'll head upstairs."
"Yes, best get a move on so we can get this over with," he agreed.
"The birth of your first and only child you mean?" Chloe ground out, the pen in her hand ready to break in half.
He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Of course, why else would we be here? Really Chloe do try to keep up."
While Lucifer had been calm from Chloe's earlier relaxed demeanor he was growing panicked and agitated now that the detective was fully into the throws of labor. His feet and mouth couldn't seem to stop, nor could the numerous worst case scenarios he kept coming up with.
"What if you die?" he cried from over by the large picture window. "I've seen it in films."
"Stop pacing!" Chloe snapped, eyes closed and sitting on a large yoga ball. "And no one's dying so chill out."
Lucifer threw up his hands, worry turning to irritation. "Well what do you want me to do Chloe? I'm sober, bored, nicotine and sex deprived, and the only entertainment I have is you bouncing around on that bloody ball!"
She opened her mouth for a rebuttal but a strong contraction tore through her making her focus on her breathing and close her eyes, her hands cradling her large stomach. They were lasting longer and when she finally reopened her eyes after a few minutes she screamed and jerked back at the fact Lucifer's face was mere inches from hers. If not for his rapid reflexes she would have fallen off he ball. "What are you doing? Get away from me!" she spat, shoving him once he released her arms after steadying her.
Lucifer tilted his head curiously and grabbed her check gently in his hand. "This really hurts you, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," she sighed and leaned into his touch. Finally he was offering some support and comfort, she could use it about now. He was sweet when he wanted to be but his default was cynical and standoffish, it took some doing to get him relaxed enough to show affection.
"You hurt because Eve couldn't withstand temptation, it's not my fault I'm so convincing," he smirked only to gasp when Chloe's hands wrapped around his neck and squeezed tightly.
"Detective," he rasped.
Chloe squeezed tighter, taking satisfaction when his face began to redden and his hands rose to try to pry hers off. "This is your fault? This is all your fault?" she shouted. "Why does everything seem to be your fault?" The sound of the door opening made her release him though her eyes still tried to melt him.
A woman in blue scrubs eyed Chloe who was focusing on breathing and the man in the suit sitting on the ground coughing and nervously asked, "Everything all right?"
"She's trying to kill me!" he wheezed, pointing to the blonde.
The nurse laughed and stepped back towards the hall, "That's what they all say. I'll get the doctor and we can check if its time to push."
"Push?" Lucifer frowned as he climbed to his feet and rubbed at his abused throat. "I don't remember anything in the book about pushing anything," he wearily wheezed, eyes sliding to Chloe.
"You didn't read the birth chapter? Are you fucking serious!"
He jumped back when she tried to roll the ball towards him and held up his hands, keeping the bed between them. "It was entirely too graphic and that's coming from The Devil. So what, you have to push it out? I thought it would just want to leave on its own."
"And what Lucifer? Waltz out?" she seethed, hands tightening into fists.
Pursing his lips he shook his head and looked towards the door when it swung open again revealing Dr. Rollins. "Can we speed this up a bit? She's becoming more homicidal."
The doctor, knowing these two, took the statement at face value and ordered Chloe up onto the bed to check her progress. Lucifer watched him examine her and looked to Chloe, waggling his eyebrows making the detective grab him by the shirt and jerk him down to her level. "I will send you right back to Hell if you don't stop."
With wide eyes Lucifer offered a small nod and stood straight once able, wisely staying quiet and studiously staring at the wall. "Perhaps I should step out for a bit," he offered politely and tried to move only to freeze when a small hand shot out and grabbed his, crushing it in a vice like grip. Looking down he saw Chloe's hand wrapped around his and snapped his gaze to her face which was filled with discomfort, it was the eyes filled with apprehension that made him finally realize she was just as nervous as he was though they both hid it well under sarcasm and insults.
He returned back to his original spot next to her and shook his hand a little to get her grip to ease up and offered a small weary smile. They could do this together, it might be hard but they could get through it.
He couldn't get through this.
"It's all your fault!"
The bones in his hand had been broken long ago but try as he may he couldn't escape her grip. She was cursing him, ranting about him and Eve, and blaming him for his ridiculous 'I'm immortal' line. "For once yes, it is all my fault," he agreed, his arm wrenching at an awkward angle forcing his knees to bend and him to twist to not dislocate his shoulder. This was getting unbearable, for both of them, and he couldn't help but wonder why people did this to themselves or the people they supposedly loved. He was a torturer but this was just cruel; watching her face twist in pain, sweat appearing on her brow, eyes clenching shut.
Movement in his peripheral vision is what alerted him to the fact that objects were starting to levitate every time she contracted. With a subtle wave of his hand they fell back down but as soon as he let up they started again. Well this was great. Perhaps Amenadiel could help seeing as he always liked to interfere with things that had nothing to do with him but before he could pray the most peculiar sound filled the room.
A cry.
With a slack jaw and wide eyes he watched as the doctor placed the most hideous little thing he had ever seen in all of existence on Chloe's chest. It was red and covered in who knows what and making that terrible noise but for some reason he couldn't look away. He wanted to ask why it was so angry, how something so grotesque could possible be related to the most beautiful of all God's creations but he refrained because it suddenly didn't matter. There was a pull, an instinctual feeling that held his attention and wouldn't allow it to stray, demanded his focus and he was powerless to fight it.
He jerked in surprise and was freed from his trance when the baby was snatched out of his sight and he quickly looked up to see the nurse carrying him away. A squeeze on his hand made him look down at an exhausted Chloe who was staring at him closely, eyes filled with something he couldn't decipher and when he looked back to the nurse Chloe squeezed his hand again, a small smile playing on her lips this time.
"It's ok."
He had to take her word for it because it was hectic and the overwhelming sense of mine made his skin crawl while the doctors and nurses handled the tiny child. He wanted it back with Chloe, wanted everyone to stop touching what was his. Everything became a blur, people and talking and changing rooms and papers signed and then suddenly all the noise stopped and it was simply him and Chloe and this small unknown human who had only been on the earth for two hours. It still looked repulsive but most of it was covered up in blankets and a small hat supposedly knitted by old dying people.
"You still haven't said anything or held him," Chloe whispered, her eyes half closed, arms wrapped around her new child. Shifting a little she sat up straighter and jerked her head, "Come here."
Lucifer did as told, rising from the too firm little couch and slowly and stiffly moved closer. Instead of reaching out for his progeny he stuffed his hands into his pockets, oddly timid for once and eyed the mother of his child. "How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad, tired." Switching her grip she removed the baby from her and held him up a little. "Take him."
The Devil took a half-step back, eyes huge. "I don't think-"
Chloe waited until she had his full attention. "I love you, hold your son. You can do this. Treat him like a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue."
With a flat look Lucifer hesitantly reached out, large hands wrapping around the small human wrapped like a burrito.
It was awkward to hold him since he was so tiny and it took him a moment to position him right. When he did he simply stared down at him, eyes taking in every feature and thumb caressing his soft cheek. It was fascinating and once again he begrudgingly had to hand it to his father, he created some very awe-inspiring things.
His skin was soft, eyes black when they opened only briefly, and a shock of dark hair peeking out from under his hat. Luken John Morningstar, the Devil's heir.
"He's beautiful."
The Devil jumped at the new voice and before he could stop himself he clocked his brother in the face with his right hand, left still safely securing the child to him. "Bloody hell Amenadiel!"
The angel rubbed at his face and glared softly. "Hitting me while knowing I can't hit you back is hardly fair brother."
"Yes that's right isn't it? Luke is like a shield," he grinned. "Come closer I want to hit you again."
Chloe sighed, "The baby is not a shield Lucifer."
He waved her off and held his son tighter. Son. He had a son. It was going to take a while for that to settle in. The thought was still nerve-wrecking, the matter of having to protect and nurture him foreign, but the prospect didn't seem as daunting as before. The Devil lived through and thrived on change and assimilating himself into different roles, this would be his latest. Fatherhood.
His focus was so intently situated on the baby that he missed the smiles and shared looks of amusement of Chloe and Amenadiel.
"May I?" his brother asked, holding out his hands with a hopeful smile.
Lucifer smirked down at his boy and shook his head, "Over my dead immortal body you feathered prick."