The mattress dipped beneath her. Then again. And again. The movement was accompanied by a squeak Chloe could not – or didn't want to – identify. With great reluctance, she cracked open an eye to find the source of her disturbance.
Trixie's beaming smile greeted her, from where she jumped beside her on the bed.
"What are you doing?" Chloe exclaimed, sitting up so quickly her head spun. With a tug, she pulled her little monkey down beside her.
"I can hear Lucifer outside. Are we at Lux? When did we get here?" She asked eagerly, barely taking a breath between each question.
"Early this morning. Very early."
Throwing the covers off her legs and over Trixie's head, Chloe smiled indulgently at her giggles as she crossed over to the door. Unlocking it, she swung it open to find Lucifer's wide grin on the other side. He was accompanied by Mazikeen who stood reluctantly waiting for her.
"Detective," Lucifer greeted, "did you sleep well?"
Closing the bedroom door behind her, she returned his smile with a grimace.
"I'm staying in the Devil's apartment, my husband is an accomplice to an attempted murderer, and said murderer has threatened my kid's life."
His smile didn't fade in the slightest. "So, no?"
With a roll of her eyes, she focused on Mazikeen. "Did you manage to find Malcolm?"
"He's staying at a motel. I had a contact tap into his phone," Chloe pretended not to hear that part, "and he's set up a meet tonight."
"With Amenadiel?"
"Yeah."
"Leaving us plenty of time to arrange surveillance. In the meantime, breakfast?" Lucifer asked. "I imagine your spawn requires nourishment."
The door opened and Trixie stuck her head out. "I heard someone say breakfast."
"It's uncanny," Chloe murmured as Trixie spotted Maze and dove on her legs.
Were Mazikeen smiled affectionately at her child, Lucifer was clearly unamused as Trixie turned her affections on him, nuzzling against his shin. He patted her head like she was a dog."
"Good child. Let's find you some bacon."
Following them toward the kitchen, Chloe felt a little self-conscious moving around Lucifer's pristine apartment in the rumbled clothes she slept in; until she saw Dan. He had been stuck in the same clothes for two days and it showed.
"Hey, monkey." He called out to Trixie. "Doesn't your dad get a hug too?"
She promptly jumped on his head. After Dan coated her face in kisses, she soon skipped back off to Maze who ruffled her hair.
"You know, I hate to say it," Dan muttered to Chloe, "but that couch is more comfortable than my bed. I don't even want to know how much it cost."
Lucifer moved confidently around the kitchen, pulling ingredients together. As he worked, Maze bent down to talk to Trixie in the dining room.
"My Mom took me to the zoo yesterday. The one in San Diego. They had everything!" She boasted.
"Everything? Did they have tigers?"
"Yep."
"Monkeys?"
"So many!" Trixie said, bouncing with excitement.
"Did they have spirits of the damned?"
Coughing pointedly, Maze shot her a smirk in response.
"Huh?" Trixie asked, confused.
While they were safe at Lux, there was no shortage of places Chloe would rather be than in a room with the Devil, a demon, her estranged husband and perceptive daughter. Perhaps a burning building surrounded by shark-infested waters would be less stressful.
"I guess you'll have to go to the zoo a lot if you're gonna be a zookeeper when you're older." Maze recovered.
Taken aback by how much Mazikeen knew about Trixie after only one previous meeting, Chloe was even more surprised by the genuine fondness the demon seemed to have for her child. After seeing Lucifer's reaction to Trixie, she would have expected the same from her, if not worse considering her animosity toward Chloe.
Watching them for a moment, she moved away from the pair, leaving them under the supervision of an untrusting Dan. Taking a seat at the kitchen counter, she watched Lucifer bustle around.
He placed a chopping board on the same counter and started slicing up fruit. Keeping his head bowed as he worked, Lucifer asked, "Still working up the courage to look me in the eye again, Detective?"
"Can we just get through today, Lucifer?" She asked resignedly, cradling her chin in her hands as she observed him from her seat.
"And then?" He asked, putting the fruit into a bowl before turning back to the omelettes on the pan.
"I don't know." She answered honestly. "I don't know what's going to happen after today. I don't know what my life's gonna be like tomorrow."
"Because of Detective Douche?" He said lightly, cautious to keep their conversation intimate.
She sighed. "I don't know how guilty Malcolm or Dan are. He might go to jail for obstruction of justice if the DA decides to throw the book at him."
"Would that upset you?"
Knowing he was referring to the text message ending their marriage, Chloe gave an indirect answer. "It would change Trixie's life."
"I see." He said thoughtfully.
"Do you?" Chloe huffed disbelievingly.
"I'm not sure how familiar you are with the Bible, but in case you'd forgotten my family is not perfect. My brother's trying to kill me, remember."
"Right."
"I know I've said this already," Lucifer said, "but it's good you finally knowing the truth. Things are much simpler now we're on the same page. It will be nice to have you no longer thinking that I'm insane."
"Oh, I still think you're insane, Lucifer."
"Cheeky." He said, clucking his tongue. Pushing a plate in front of her, he added, "You'll eat all of that."
"Bossy." Chloe retorted, tucking in while Lucifer went to retrieve Trixie. Since he was out of the room, she allowed her eyes to shut with bliss as she bit into the food. He really was an excellent chef, but also insufferable to be around when smug.
Trixie hopped onto the stool beside her while Dan leaned in the doorway, seeing there was no food laid out for him.
"We need to decide where Trix is going this afternoon." He said. "While we're… you know."
"We're not spending the day together?" Trixie pouted, shovelling some bacon into her mouth.
"No monkey, we have work to do this afternoon. We shouldn't be gone too long though." Chloe soothed.
Now Dan had raised the question, however, she did need to find a suitable babysitter. Her usual candidates were out of the question: they couldn't be expected to face Malcolm if they followed through on the threat to come after her daughter. Lucifer and Mazikeen couldn't stay – even though Trixie would be thrilled to spend the day with Maze – as they were the only ones who stood a chance in a fight against Amenadiel. Which left her with only one obvious choice.
"Your Dad will stay with you." Chloe stated, just as Dan said, "Your Mom will stay with you."
"What?"
"What?"
"I'm not staying." Dan protested. "I've been working this case longer than anyone!"
"I know. And look where we are." She rejoined.
He opened his mouth to argue, but they both remembered the child between them. Trixie was oblivious to the tension, more interested in mopping up the remaining syrup on her plate with the last piece of bacon. Like Chloe, she thought Lucifer's cooking was delicious.
"Trix, are you nearly finished?"
A spray of food flew across the counter as she hummed her answer and Lucifer almost turned green with disgust at the display.
"I need you to go brush your teeth for me."
"Can't I play with Maze?" She asked, hopping off the stool.
"No, monkey. Go brush your teeth."
Trixie darted out of the kitchen.
"And brush them properly," Chloe called after her.
Maze sauntered into the kitchen, drawn to the tension crackling between Chloe and Dan. She seemed to take as much joy watching the pair bicker as Lucifer did. They must feed on chaos, Chloe thought irritably.
"For the record, I am not up for babysitting duty." She declared.
"It's fine. We need you with us. Dan will stay here with Trixie."
"The hell I will," Dan said indignantly, planting his hands on his hips. "You should stay."
"The Detective – Chloe," Lucifer clarified, "is coming with us."
Hearing him say her name, not her rank, sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. He so rarely used her given name. It was probably time, after their months of partnership, for him to stop calling her by her rank; although, when Lucifer called her Detective, it always sounded oddly affectionate.
"Maze?"
"I agree." She said, instinctively siding with Lucifer.
"Oh dear, Daniel. It appears you've been outvoted. Fear not, however. You can still participate in the planning. Shall we?"
With great reluctance, they settled down to the task with Trixie distracted by a movie on Lucifer's enormous television which hadn't even premiered in the cinemas yet. Chloe thought it best not to ask how he came to have it in his possession and Dan did likewise, though a vein in his temple looked ready to burst.
When it came time to go, Dan tried to argue again for Chloe's place on the stakeout. Lucifer remained firm.
"We have already settled the matter." He reminded. "It's the Detective, Mazikeen and I. You are left on the far more vital Beatrice duty."
Chloe nodded. "Make sure she goes to bed by nine at the latest. She'll say she can handle staying up later than that, but she can't so you need to be firm. Unless you want to care for a zombie tomorrow."
"I know," Dan intoned, "I'm her dad, remember?"
"Come along, Detective." Lucifer beckoned before they could start bickering again. "The meeting should start soon and we need to get in position."
Malcolm had arranged the meeting in a darkened car park, where the trio sat in wait.
"It is rather cliched, isn't it?" Lucifer complained, sitting in the rear middle seat while his companions sat poised in the front. "Ill-lit garage at midnight. It feels like something from a poorly written television dramedy."
"Sorry, Malcolm couldn't be more original for you," Chloe said sarcastically. "I'll ask our future perps to think outside the box."
"Thank you, Detective." He replied sincerely. "That would be much appreciated. I despise unoriginality. When you've been around for as long as I have, it can become maddening to see the same things repeated endlessly."
Trying not to contemplate how long Lucifer had lived, she kept her attention on the exits. Two minutes before the arranged time, Malcolm emerged from the one furthest from their position and headed for parking spot forty-three.
"Mazikeen, cover the stairs. Stay hidden."
Though she watched her go, Chloe quickly lost sight of the demon in the shadows. "How did she do that?"
"The shadows like her," Lucifer answered, eyes fixed on their pacing prey. "Do you remember the plan, Detective?"
"I'll grab Malcolm while you talk with your brother."
"Excellent. And…?" He prompted.
"Stay out of Amenadiel's way."
"Fantastic."
"But…"
"No." He warned.
"If you get in trouble, I'm not going to stand by." She persisted.
"While I appreciate the sentiment, he's an immortal, love. He'd crush you."
"What do you mean?"
"Angels are immortal and imbued with inhuman strength and immunity to mortal weapons. When I say he'd crush you, I'm being literal."
"But you're not like that," Chloe said, keeping her eyes fixed on Malcolm. "I've seen you get hurt before."
Shuffling uncomfortably in his seat, Lucifer replied, "Unfortunately that is a vulnerability exclusive to me."
"So he can hurt you?"
"Not if you and Malcolm leave as we discussed."
Shaking her head, she admitted, "I don't understand."
"Neither do I." He muttered. Before she could question again, he said, "Chloe. I know there are many things still left for me to tell you, but now is not the time. It might be asking too much, but I need you to trust me. Amenadiel is not to be underestimated. He is as strong as I am and has the additional advantage of being able to slow time. You are a mortal, seen as a weakness of mine to be exploited in his mission to return me to Hell. I will not allow you to come to harm, Detective. The only way I can do that, however, is if you follow the plan."
She wanted to continue – bewildered how she could possibly be a weakness – but one glance at his imploring expression silenced her.
"Fine," Chloe grumbled. "I'll get Malcolm and take him downstairs."
"I know I've said this before, but there are alternatives to turning Malcolm over to the police. Once he's in custody, he could expose Dan's misdeeds as part of a bargain." He reminded.
"There is no alternative." She stated. "Malcolm is a criminal and he needs to face justice. Proper justice. We're not vigilantes. If he turns on Dan, he turns on him. What happens after that is for the courts to decide."
Chloe was endlessly frustrated by her husband's choices, yet she didn't want him to go to jail. Nevertheless, he had pulled the trigger and chose to shoot Malcolm. He had decided to cover up what had happened to avoid implication in the wider corruption. When he did, as an officer, he knew full well what the consequences of that action would be. It wasn't up to her whether he faced them, and her own sense of duty to the law they were meant to uphold wouldn't allow her to help him run from that.
Looking at Lucifer, it occurred to her that he had done that. Ran. Why were the men in her life so different yet ultimately the same?
"There he is." He said darkly. "Showtime."
Breaking her gaze at his face, Chloe looked toward the parking bay and saw Amenadiel swiftly descending on Malcolm in a torrent of black robes. Ducking out of the car first, Lucifer waited until she was hidden behind a column to make his grand entrance.
While the ability to sense mortals came naturally to him, it perturbed Lucifer at times how attuned he was to the Detective's presence.
As he stalked across the garage, he felt her struggle to stand still behind the column, waiting for her cue to grab the miscreant and run.
"Brother!" He cried as he walked, making himself known once he was satisfied she would stay put. "I thought you might like to witness the good news first hand. Surprise! I'm not dead."
It only took a few strides to reach Malcolm and Amenadiel, enjoying the ferocity which twisted his brother's expression. With him in place, Mazikeen emerged from the din and swiftly disarmed Malcolm. In one move he was on the floor, gun skidding across the floor toward Chloe's position as she secured his wrists together with antiquated shackles. He knew from experience how fond Maze was of the piece.
In the time it took, Amenadiel's face had cleared and he greeted him warmly.
"Brother. I am always glad to see you unharmed. Though, of course, I am disappointed to see your continued refusal to return to your rightful place. I would have thought you'd learnt the lesson of breaking our Father's rules by now."
Maze circled the two eagerly, sniffing out their discord and waiting for the inevitable fight.
"Don't lecture me about rule-breaking, Brother." Lucifer antagonised. "How do you think He will respond to your plan? I know he wants me back in Hell but… resurrecting mortals? Assassination attempts? To anyone else, it would appear you aim to become a false idol."
The accusation of heresy riled Amenadiel as predicted, and Chloe was able to emerge from her place and grab Malcolm. The man offered little resistance as she marched him toward the stairwell.
"I was tasked with returning you to Hell, Lucifer." He replied angrily. "I suggest you follow Father's request and return there at once."
"It has been a long time since I was in His presence, but I know he wouldn't sanction such interference in the mortal realm. You're overstepping your bounds, Brother."
"I am not the one playing with mortals, Lucifer. Bending their will is your game. And how brilliantly you do it."
"Unlike you. From what I've been privy to, it seems you've made an awful mess of things. I wouldn't want to be in the room once Father discovers what you've done. If he hasn't already."
"Father has other matters to attend," Amenadiel said confidently. "A blip in the road is of no significance to Him. The only reason He is aware of you at all is because you are not where you're meant to be."
"Other matters." Lucifer scoffed. "He's omniscient. I think he'll notice one of his playthings being resurrected from the dead to act as His son's sword."
"I'm still allowed to grant miracles, Luci. A dying man granted a few extra months to spend time with his loved ones. A reasonable act. And when his unfinished business is resolved, he will resume his intended path."
The sound of a body hitting the pavement reverberated around the sparsely filled garage. He didn't need to look to know the Detective was unharmed. Malcolm was the one who fell. Internally, he urged her to keep moving, but his attention stayed fixed on Amenadiel.
"Cleaning up the evidence?"
"Everyone has their time." He said sanctimoniously. "Now it's yours. Return to Hell. I won't tell you again."
"Is that a threat?"
"Yes." After a pause, he tilted his head. "I would abandon your attempts at resuscitation, Chloe. His soul has already returned to Hell."
Millennia had taught him to contain his fury, yet Lucifer felt the fire burn behind his eyes as he felt the Detective still at the sound of his words.
"I will succeed in returning you to your rightful place, Brother. No matter the consequence, God's will is truth. There is no escape from your duty to Him. Without you, the gates are unguarded. Hell is at risk of anarchy. You must return."
"No one tells me what to do. Not even God. I know full well the consequence of my actions. I still haven't earned forgiveness after millennia in Hell. I just hope you understand. Because I'm not saying what you have done is as bad as orchestrating the downfall of Man, but you have sinned."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, as unseen clouds muddied the clear night sky.
"A Father with omniscience. Every child's worst dream. Takes all the fun out of life, wouldn't you say?"
Maze let out a growl of frustration as Amenadiel disappeared.
Letting the heat dissipate, Lucifer waited until he was certain his eyes were clear before turning back to the Detective. He didn't need her running off again, not with Amenadiel's threat so fresh.
"Is he gone?" Chloe asked hesitantly, unsure what to do as Malcolm laid motionless at her feet. Their plan had hardly unfolded as intended.
"For now. I imagine it's only a matter of time before he returns with a new scheme. In the meantime, I suggest we attend to this body. Your colleagues dislike you enough without Malcolm dying in your custody. We'll need to dispose of him."
"We can't dump his body, Lucifer. He has a family." Chloe protested.
Ever the voice of morality. He should be repulsed, yet her view of justice spoke something to him.
"Fear not. I was not suggesting a permanent solution, only that we find his car, uncuff him and leave him in there for someone else to find. I have no doubt that whatever miracle Amenadiel worked to restore him to life has been undone, and an autopsy will show he died of natural causes."
"I'll handle the body." Maze volunteered. "I might as well get some fun out of tonight since you and Amenadiel failed to put on a performance. Are you sure I can't dice him up first? Make the crime scene a little more interesting?"
"No, my plan will work just fine. Thank you." Lucifer added, watching as Maze stalked past him to collect Malcolm. She picked him up effortlessly as Chloe looked on incredulously, taking the body downstairs to collect his car.
"Mazikeen is somewhat disappointed by the lack of violence tonight." He explained needlessly to her, drawing her attention back to him.
"She would be." Chloe deadpanned. "Listen, we should get back to Lux. Dan will want to know what's happened. If we're gone too long, I wouldn't put it past him to do something stupid."
"Very well. With Malcolm gone, I suppose all his troubles are a thing of the past."
"Hardly." She predictably insisted. "It doesn't change what he's done."
"Penance must be served." He mused.
"The department needs to know about Malcolm, and Dan is the key to exposing his crimes. It doesn't end because he's dead. For all we know, there are other corrupt cops and a proper investigation needs to look into it."
"Back to work then?" Lucifer said briskly. "It's not too late to salvage your weekend getaway. Unless you'd like to make your retreat permanent."
With a sigh, Chloe looked up. He almost startled when he realised she was meeting his gaze, remaining unwavering as she did.
"I'm not leaving." She stated. "But there's a lot I still don't know and I want answers, Lucifer."
"Very well. Let's leave it for tomorrow though, shall we?"
The Detective was looking dead on her feet and, when Maze sauntered past – Malcolm disposed of – he led her back to the car.
"Let's get back to Beatrice and ensure Daniel has put her to bed as promised." He said, holding open the door for her.
Waiting until she was settled in her seat, Lucifer pushed the door shut.