CHAPTER 2
Despite the late hour, Linda picks up her phone almost immediately.
"Linda Martin."
"Doctor."
"Lucifer?" Linda asks, not sure if it was the Devil calling her. She recognized the accent, but his voice lacked his usual mischief. His sharp breath on the other end of the line confirms her worries. "It almost sounded like a cry." She realizes. She puts her questions as to what happened on hold and asks. "Are you okay?" She lets a few seconds go by. When she gets no answer, she simply adds. "Why don't you come over whenever you like. I'm here for while. I have a few patient files I need to review before tomorrow. So I'm here if you decide you need a friendly ear."
The invitation from Linda was all the incentive the Devil needed. "I'll be right over." He simply informs the psychiatrist before he hangs up.
30 minutes later - Linda's practice
Linda is deep in her files when she hears a soft knock on her door. She jumps slightly.
"Just a minute."
She quickly tidies up her desk and puts the files back in her safe. She then makes her way to the door and opens it. Her worries for her friend come back full steam when she sees the face of the Devil. To start with, Lucifer rarely knocks when he visits her. Then she takes in his appearance. Gone is his usual three-pieces suit. Apparently he dropped the vest, the jacket and his smugness on the way over. It feels weird to Linda to see the Devil bare - almost as raw as his burnt skin - shirt untucked, messy hair, and a lingering smell of Bourbon and cold tobacco.
"Come in Lucifer." She finally tells him when he remains on her doorstep. He comes in and Linda ushers him towards her couch. He drops down, still in shock. Linda sits opposite to him. Linda sits opposite of him, staring at his frown and rumpled appearance, trying to figure out what happened "Did he have to kill one of his siblings again?" She asks herself. She looks at him, waiting for her friend to speak, while going over different scenarios in her mind. Lucifer reaches for the glass of water and brings it his lips. He then takes a deep cleansing breath, finally beginning to get his emotions under control. Another deep breath. He starts to speak but stops soon after, unable to stop the horrid scene of Chloe holding him at gunpoint, eyes filled with terror. He pinches the bridge of his nose, seals his eyes shut. "In the name of Dad!" He groans, frustrated by his own lack of control. When he opens his eyes again, they're glistening. He looks at Linda, almost expecting her to tell him about how ridiculous he is to get this worked up about such a small thing. Instead, she gives him a warm smile, not pressing him further. However, she finally has a better idea about what happened, or at least about who's involved. Only one person can strike the Devil to his core. The only questions being why, and what happened. The Devil sits up straight, and finally decides to talk again. He utters two words.
"She knows."
These two simple words confirm to Linda what she already suspected. "I see." She replies, her tone detached, almost clinical. It pains her to see Lucifer this way, but right now, it's what the Devil needs. "Why don't you take me through what happened step by step?"
"I can't." He answers.
"You're safe here Lucifer. You can talk to me." She smiles. "I can help you, but I need to know what happened." Her tone is firm, professional.
Lucifer nods. For the first time since he came in, the ghost of a smile graces his features as he recalls the sweet moment he had with the Detective before everything took a turn for the worst. "Chl… I mean, the Detective and I were having a wonderful time. She'd finally decided to take a chance on me, and stopped resisting my charms." His heart sinks in his chest. "And, we were well on our way to much more delights when Amaymon showed up and killed the mood." The rage he feels towards the demon replaces the pain, and he has neither the will, nor the strength to keep it in check. His eyes flash red just a second before the rest of his body follows. Linda's a bit taken aback. It's been a while since she saw Lucifer's true form. She blinks to refocus her attention on what matters, i.e helping her friend. Lucky for her, Lucifer shifts back after a minute.
"Who's Amaymon?"
"One of my generals. I left him in charge of Hell when I left. But that's not important." He dismisses her question.
Linda doesn't push. "What happened next?"
"It happened very fast. Chloe was asking a lot of question about my unexpected guest. I stalled and avoided her questions as much as I could, and I almost managed to do it. But then the stupid demon had to go and threaten the her."
"Go on?"
"Let's just say the Devil within me woke up and took control for a few minutes." He pauses. "And she witnessed it all."
"So she saw your devil form?" Her voice is a bit shaky.
"No." He looks at her for the first time since he started talking. "Only the eyes." He pauses. "But the fear in her eyes was unmistakable."
"Then what?"
"Then she grabbed her gun and pointed it towards me, telling me not to come any closer. Then she left."
"Okay." Linda answers.
"Okay?" Lucifer repeats, not understanding her answer. "Is that all you have to say to me?"
"It was bound to happen at some point." She replies.
"Have you gone deaf in the last days. Or didn't you hear a word I just said?" He's angry again now, taking out his rage on the only person near him. He stands up, eyes flaming again. Linda knows Lucifer has to get it all out of his system before he can listen to her, so she endures his anger. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared. In her years, she had dealt with pretty intense patients, but none of them were the Devil, and despite her knowledge, she was still navigating in unknown waters. "The Detective pointed her bloody gun at ME, threatening to shoot ME if I took another step closer. She took the safety off her service weapon. Had I tried to be more daring, she'd have shot the monster I am." He takes the now empty glass of water and shatters it in his grip. He paces for a few more moments. Once he finally lets go of his anger, he flops down on the couch again, drained. "And now I lost her for good." He finishes, beaten.
"I'd have shot you as well if I had a gun when I saw your hellish form for the first time." Lucifer looks at her, confused.
"How is this helping me?"
"Well, I'm still here, talking to you, after hours, when I could be out with friends, on a Friday night." He doesn't catch her drift. Linda spells it out for him. "How can someone so bright and caring, be so thick-headed sometimes." She thinks. "I saw your other persona, and yet I stuck around, after a short adjustment time. If I did it, so can Chloe." His face lights up just a notch. "I'm sure she'll come around. She just needs time to process it all. Believe me when I say this is quite the revelation. Hell, I still haven't wrapped my head around everything it implies." She finishes.
"How do I fix it?"
"You stay true to yourself, and give her the time she needs to adjust to this revelation"
"Great idea. It worked out just fine so far." He snickers.
"Chloe knows you. She's worked with you for almost two years now, and you've always been, well, you, around her. She needs to see that despite who you are, you're still THE Lucifer Morningstar she knows and respects. She needs to digest all that just happened. Once she does, she'll realize you're still you. Then you can reach out to her. Just remain calm and let her speak first."
"Can't you talk to her? It's your job after all."
"I can talk to her after you cleared things up with her, if you want. But she needs to hear it from you first."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Just try to speak to her first. If it doesn't bring her back, we'll take it from here.
"This will never work." He mutters.
"I'm sorry?" Linda asks. "Are you the trained psychiatrist in the room?"
"No. But…"
"No but." Linda cuts him. She gives a warm smile. "Just trust me. If I could help your relationship with your Mom and Amenadiel, I think I can help you get through to Chloe."
"All right." He finally agrees, although not convinced. It's not like it could get worse anyway.
45 minutes later - 2128 Zephyr Court - Apartment 220
Lucifer parks his car in front of her apartment complex. He feels extremely nervous as he makes his way to his door. Taking deep breaths, he is successful in keeping the annoying feeling in check. To anyone passing by, he looks exactly like the composed Devil he always is, the only sign of nervousness being the way his fingers fidget with his car keys inside of his dress trousers pocket. He takes the final step and finally stands in front of Chloe's condo door. "Here goes nothing.", he thinks before he softly knocks. He hears someone walking inside and towards the door.
"Detective." He softly says.
"Go away, Lucifer." Her voice is pleading. It almost sounds as if she doesn't have the strength to push him away a second time.
"Detective." He tries again. When he gets no response, he slides down to the floor, his back to the door. "Chloe." He pleads. "Please, let me in." After he waits for a while, he stands up and was about ready to leave but hears the voice on the other side of the door softly say:
"Lucifer, I can't…" She simply says.
"I know you're scared. But at least, give me a chance to explain." He sighs, not believing his own words. "If it makes you feel safer around me, you can keep your gun on me. You know I'm vulnerable around you, so I won't harm you." He feels disgusted with himself. The mere thought of Chloe thinking he could willingly hurt her feels as if plunged one of her daggers straight into his heart. But if it's what it takes for her to listen to him, he's ready to give it a shot. He waits for a sign she agrees, but gets none. He decides to give her a chance for a few more minutes. Leaning against the wall near her door, after what seems like eons, he finally sees a beacon of hope when he hears the lock click open.
"Can I come in?"
"Yes." Comes the weak reply of the blond woman.
Lucifer pushes the door open slowly. He walks past the threshold. He looks around before his eyes finally land on the Detective. Chloe takes a step back as he takes a step further. She has her gun in her hand, but her service weapon faces the floor. "At least, it's not aimed at me. It's progress." He looks deep into her eyes, trying to reach for her soul. "You have nothing to be scared of, Chloe. I will NEVER hurt you."
"Just stay where you are, at least until I've made up my mind about whatever this is."
He removes his hands from his pockets and raises his arms. "All right." His voice is warm and soft. "See, I'm not moving any further, unless you tell me to."
Chloe blinks a few times before she finally gathers the courage to ask the burning question. "WHO or WHAT are you?" She breathes out.
Lucifer can't help the chuckle at her question. "I'm Lucifer Morningstar. I'm the same person you've been working with for the last two years. Nothing's changed." His body language is the opposite to the turmoil raging in his chest.
"But I saw your eyes, and I heard what you said, the tone of your voice." She takes a shaky breath. "And it wasn't the Lucifer I know, nor was it human."
"And I'm really sorry you had to see this side of me." He looks away. "But I can assure you that such ire and coldness will never, EVER, be directed at you."
She nods. "Are you really…" She can't finish her sentence.
"The Devil?"
"Yes."
"I am." He takes a baby-step towards her. She doesn't pull back. "Good." He thinks. "I've never hidden my true identity from you." Chloe is still speechless, but the fear in her eyes slowly decreases. "You just weren't ready to admit it. And I'm truly sorry you had to find out about it this way." He steps closer, careful not to spook her. "I will NEVER hurt you. You know me, Chloe." He repeats his previous statement.
"But you're the Devil."
"Indeed, I am."
Although the gun remains in Chloe's reach, she finally puts it down on her kitchen counter, stil keeping a few steps between her and the Devil. "God." Lucifer flinches at the mention of his Father's name, but says nothing. "This was all so much easier when I thought you were a method actor." She looks at him. "Let's say you really are the Devil and I really saw what I saw at your penthouse."
"I'm listening." He answers.
"What does it mean for me? Humans in general? Us? God? Is the end of the world near?" Chloe panics again, overwhelmed by all the implications of this turn of events.
"Chloe." Lucifer says. "Just take a deep breath."
She listens to his advice and her panic slowly fades away. "I have so many questions." She says, more to herself. Still the Devil replies.
"And I'm here to answer them all, as long as I have the answer, that is."
She heads for her kitchen. "I need a drink first." She simply replies.
Lucifer remains glued to his spot, waiting for her permission to move closer. She downs the glass of vodka in a few gulps. She refills it and makes her way back to the living room, all the while silently contemplating where to start the impending conversation. She looks over at Lucifer. He keeps his eyes on her, but doesn't answer. His inner turmoil raging on, every fiber of his being fighting the urge to rush at her side to comfort her. Their staring contest goes on for a while longer until the atmosphere in the room is too heavy for either of them to bear. Lucifer is the first one to break the silence.
"May I come closer?" Chloe nods. Lucifer moves to sit down beside her, his movements purposely slow, giving her plenty of time to back out if needed. He sits up straight on her sofa, leaving room for one person between them. "I can start if it's easier for you." She nods again. "Good. Feel free to stop me whenever you need." He gives her a smile. "And remember, no matter what, it's still Good Old Me."
"Okay."
He clears his throat. "So, where do I start." He ponders. "First, the being you call God, is my Dad. I was indeed an angel for some time. But I rebelled against his stupid rules, not because I wanted power as everyone thinks, but because I wanted what you, humans have, i.e free will."
"So angels don't have free will?"
"No. We don't. All we do is carry the will of our Father. And it's extremely frustrating."
"So your Father punished you?" She inquires, remembering the huge scars she saw on his back. "Did you really cut off your wings?"
Sadness settles in his eyes for only a brief moment, but long enough for the Detective to catch it. "Yes. I had to. But Maze did it." He looks away. "Anyway, regarding the punishment for my rebellion, Dad thought fitting to send me back down in Hell. Since I wanted so much to have what you humans had, He condemned me to be among the worst of His creations once they died, always reminding me of my mistake."
"That's so cruel." She whispers.
Lucifer continues. "But I got bored and decided it was time for me to get a new life. I left Hell behind and decided to take a vacation in this wonderful city, popped back down to get Maze, and settle to make my life here, among humanity."
She picks up her glass and downs it almost fully. After his explanations, she goes over all those times Maze joked about Hell and all. "So Maze is a fallen angel as well?"
Lucifer chuckles. "Father, no!" He brings a small smile to her lips. "She's a demon. I actually created her in Hell."
"Maze is a demon." She repeats. "Holy shit." She realizes. "Maze is a fucking DEMON! I let a demon from hell babysit my daughter." She stares at Lucifer "Well that certainly explains a few things." She adds in her mind.
Lucifer cuts off her thought process with his reply. "Fear not, she will never do anything that would endanger you or your spawn. If anything, she's a very fierce and protective friend. You should have seen her reaction when she thought Mom was after you. Once she found out Mom wanted to blow you up, she took the bomb from your car and put it on Amenadiel's. It was hilarious."
"Wait…" She cuts in. "Your mother put a bomb under my car?" Then it hits her. "Whose your mother?"
"Charlotte is." Understanding washes over her features as to why Lucifer was so appalled when she suggested he got intimate with her. "Or rather, her essence took possession of Charlotte's body."
"Okaaay." She makes a mental note to come back to this essence-thing later. "What about Amenadiel?"
"Ah!" He exclaims. "Big Bro is an angel, but he fell right before the whole Malcolm fiasco, you know being the prideful one and all." He thinks for a bit. "Turns out Dear Old Dad can be quite unforgiving when it comes to certain things such as pride, or blind obedience to His will."
"What about Linda?"
Lucifer feels the tightness in his chest disappearing the further the conversation moves on. They hadn't rekindled their bond yet, but at least they are talking and Chloe's asking a lot of questions, which is good. The more she knows about him and his world, the less she'll be afraid, or so he hopes.
"Lucifer?" She repeats.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"What about Linda?"
"Linda is 100 % human, but she's been in the know about us for a while now. Over the last few months, she sorta acted as our official therapist. She's really good, you know. And I mean professionally. Although she's rather good and inventive when it comes to…"
"Lucifer!" Chloe scolds him. Lucifer gives her an apologetic smile. "What about that shadow at your place?"
"Amaymon?"
"Yes."
"He's one of my generals I left in charge of my duties when I left Hell."
She nods. "You said he was the answer to the case we closed. Why is that?"
"He's not the answer per say, but he did give me the explanation as to why this gruesome case came up all of a sudden, with a bloke who has almost no priors."
"How? Is he responsible for what happened?"
"Not really." He scoots closer to her. "He actually came to warn me about it. Apparently three demons managed to escape and currently use human bodies to unleash their lowest instincts in this plane."
"Escaped?"
"Yes." He pauses, trying to find an easy way to explain how Hell worked. "In a nutshell, Hell is composed of several levels." Before she can say anything. "No, not like Dante's inferno." She closes her mouth. "It's more like a company actually. There's me on top, running every department. And then for each department, I have managers. Amaymon is one of them, and he's been acting as my replacement while I'm up here. And under my managers, you have workers, doing the small tasks like keeping Hell clean, making sure the punishments are carried out properly and so on. They are demons."
"Where do we fit in?"
"You mean humans?"
"Yes."
"You do, and you don't. You're a part of Hell, and Hell exists for and because of you. But strangely you're not part of the equation, because you don't really have a choice in the matter. Although I hold humans in a much higher esteem than demons. Demons are nothing more than a necessary evil, if you'll excuse the pun." He looks at her. "If that makes any sense."
"Actually, it sorta does. Although I don't get why this is linked to our case." She gets him back on track.
"I'm getting there." He replies. "As I was saying, some of them escaped, apparently with the help of one of my former generals, Astaroth."
"What happened?"
"He got greedy and I had to put a stop to his ambition. Although now I wish I had ended his life when I had the change instead of simply demoting him."
"I understand." Then out of the blue. "Can I see them again?"
"Them?"
"Your eyes."
"Are you sure?" She nods. "Alright." He grins. "As long as you promise not to shoot me."
For a glimpse, they're almost the dynamic duo they were yesterday. "I promise." She answers.
He rearranges his sleeves. "I'm only showing you what you need to see."
"There's more?"
"Not for you, Chloe." He closes his eyes. When he opens them, Chloe slowly watches his irises change to a blood-red color, before the black of his pupils take over. He closes his eyes again, and when he reopens them, they're back to their usual hazel color. She doesn't know if she imagined it, but she could swear she saw some flames in his pupils. Somehow, she found it intriguing and almost enticing. Lucifer gives her a weak smile, doing his best to hide his uncertainty.
"Okay."
"So…" He starts. "I see you're still sane."
"It would appear so." She replies. "But I need time to process all this. I mean, this changes everything. I have to rethink all I've ever thought to be true, all I've learned. My world just got turned upside down." She grabs her glass, finishes it fully and stands up. She looks away from the Devil, but this time it's not out of fear.
"Are we okay?" He finally asks, dreading her answer.
"I…" His phone interrupts her. She's about to give her answer, when the phone rings again. Lucifer ignores it. "You should probably get that." Chloe says, happy for the intervention.
"It can wait." Lucifer instantly answers. "I'm not going anywhere." His phone stops. "See." He smiles. "So, are we?"
"I think…" Then the phone goes off again. "It sounds important. You should really answer it." She smiles. "I need a bit of time to think."
"Alright." He takes out his phone and walks a few steps away from Chloe. "Yes Maze." Then a few more "Hum", "Yes" and "Go on" follow. He hangs up the phone and walks over to Chloe, reducing the distance between them to a minimum. "It was Maze. Apparently she found out where the second demon is. She's about ready to collect him and bring him back to Lux."
"Are you going to… You know?"
"Hurt him?" She nods. "Not if I can avoid it. I never enjoyed hurting people, but sometimes, it's all they understand." She looks away. "I know it's hard for you understand. But the demon inside the human envelope is not really human. And the soul that was once there won't feel a thing. Although, the demon might experience the limits of his shell." He almost takes her hand in his. "Again, I apologize you had to experience this."
"But it's part of you, isn't it?"
"It became part of me, and it was more and more unbearable, until I started to use my skill set to punish the guilty on the job. I'm making the best out of something I never wanted." He pauses. "I have to go and meet with Maze. Would you like to accompany me?"
"I think I'll pass this time around." She smiles. "I have accepted who you are, but, I'm not ready for the next step of your devilish persona."
"I understand." He stares into her eyes, happy at her statement. "A least let me ask Amaymon to watch over you while Maze and I take care of this."
"Your previous general?"
"Yes." He touches her shoulder. Chloe accepts his close proximity. "I don't know of Astaroth's plan yet, and I want to make sure you're safe."
"Lucifer…" She starts. "If it weren't for your intervention, he would have attacked me. He has no respect for me. He loathes me."
Lucifer doesn't contradict her. Instead, he simply states. "He won't hurt you. He might not fear you, but he definitely fears me!"
"Alright." Chloe reluctantly agrees, knowing Lucifer would never put her in harm's way.
Lucifer nods towards the bay windows and Amaymon steps in. "She's not to be harmed in any way. You're to treat her as if she were my consort." Amaymon nods. "Is that clear?"
"Yes, my Lord." Then he turns to Chloe, bows his head. "My Queen." Chloe looks back at him, and sees the contempt for her in his eyes. Maybe she'll ask Maze for a few pointers on how to deal with demons.
Lucifer clears his throat. "Now that we cleared things up, I have to run!"
"So you've said."
He chuckles at his own embarrassment. "Look at me." He thinks. "I'm more nervous than a bloody 14-year-old before his first date." Finally he asks the question to which Chloe hasn't answered yet, his face grows serious. "Are we okay?"
"I think so."
"At least that's not a no." He answers, a bit sad. He heads for the door.
"Lucifer." Chloe grabs his arm. "I meant, I need time and a bit of space, away from you. But we'll be okay." To prove her point, she drops a chaste kiss on his cheek.
Lucifer's face lightens up like a Christmas tree. "I'll see you later then. You know where to find me."
Then he heads out and closes the door behind him.
So here's the second part. It should 1-2 chapters more top. Thanks so much for all the super positive feedback on the 1st chapter. It really means a lot :D. And thanks to Darkstarius for the beta-read :).
Enjoy.