Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lucifer Morningstar loved the ocean.

The beach held a special place in his heart, since it had been where his journey had ended when he escaped Hell.  Having come from a dry, arid land filled with fire and ash, it was like nothing he had ever seen.  The ocean was the antithesis of Hell -- cool, liquid, and so blue it hurt his eyes -- and therefore symbolized freedom from the chains his father had imposed on him.  Was it any surprise that this was also where he decided to burn his wings?  

To be near such a beautiful expanse of water was exhilarating.  When he saw the ocean, he knew he had to learn to swim.  Absolutely.  Once he had acclimated to his surroundings, the first thing he had done was return to the sea.  He had been so fascinated by the blue liquid that he just hopped in!  Jumping off the end of the Santa Monica Pier had seemed like a good idea at the time, but once he hit the water, he realized it was not the best plan.  The shocking cold of the sea robbed him of coherent thought -- he could do nothing but thrash and flounder in a way that was very unbecoming for the Devil.  Luckily, a beautiful lifeguard had seen him go under and fished him out of the water.  She taught him all the swimming strokes, and he had reciprocated with sex... lots of it.

Being in the water reminded him a little of flying.  The floating sensation when under water was like hovering in the air, and then there was the ability to move in any direction without gravity.  He didn’t regret cutting his wings off, but he did miss flying at times, and swimming helped him transition into a creature bound to the Earth.

While he loved the ocean, he didn’t swim much in it, preferring pools instead.  The sand reminded him too much of the ash back home.  It got into everything, stuck to his damp skin, and dirtied up the car.  He also liked to swim naked, which was frowned upon at the public beaches, although he couldn’t figure out why.  After all, he was perfection -- who wouldn’t want to see him in his naked splendor?  

Then there were the humans at the beach.  He found their behavior quite inexplicable at times.  Sunbathing?  Very odd.  He loved seeing the men and women in practically nothing, but watching humans pluck sand from their skimpy suits -- or bodies -- was not as titillating as it should have been.  Not only that -- how did sunbathing people avoid having gulls do their business on them?  Those nasty creatures targeted him every time they saw him -- how did sunbathers not get bombarded by bird byproduct?  It was a mystery.  And then there were the little spawnfolk.  Like ants spilling out of a disturbed anthill, they ran everywhere, screaming at people and burying their parents in the sand, like ruthless little undertakers.  It was all quite horrifying.  

Walks along deserted beaches, though, filled him with serenity.  It was strange -- one would have thought the Lord of Hell wouldn’t want peace, but he found that ever since he came to Earth, he enjoyed the quiet atmosphere.  The cool breezes, so lovely when compared to the hot, stifling air of Hell; the clean, salty tang of the sea air; the roar of the surf, showing off its power -- he loved all of it!

So when the detective asked him to join her and her little human for a day at the beach, he jumped at the chance.  After all, it was a day with Chloe, and what could be better?  He figured he could knit beside her while admiring her sunbathing body clad in a skimpy bikini, and maybe rub some lotion on her -- back and front, of course! -- while the child ran off and paddled at the shoreline.  

He packed the Corvette with a basket of food and a bottle of wine, as well as an In-N-Out meal for the little one, then drove over to Chloe’s apartment.  From there he transferred all of his goods to her car -- for his was too small to transport everyone -- and off they went to the beach.

Lucifer was thankful for some time to spend with Chloe that wasn’t related to work.  Ever since the whole Frank Barnes incident, she had been strangely reticent.  Oh, she was friendly enough and they still knitted next to each other, but the teasing she had exhibited had vanished.  He didn’t know what had happened -- it was as if she had erected a giant wall between them.  It... hurt.

But he was the Devil -- he could scale any wall, no matter how high!  Even if it belonged to Chloe, his incredibly stubborn, wonderful, brave, courageous, humorous, awesome, beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, sexy --

He cleared his throat and tried to focus on what was happening.  Chloe had pulled into the parking lot at the Santa Monica State Beach -- a fine spot to spend the day in -- but they were being turned away...?

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but the beach is closed,” the officer said, leaning down to Chloe’s open window.  

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Shark sighting, a fourteen foot great white.  Damn thing came right up onto the shore with the waves and almost bit a woman, so we’ve closed down the entire beach.”

“No beach?” Trixie asked from the back seat, sounding disappointed.  

Chloe turned to look at her daughter.  “We can come back another day.”

Glancing back at the little one, Lucifer saw the disappointment on her face.  Surprisingly, he felt the same, for he had been looking forward to their outing.  The hope that had once burned bright of getting back onto a good footing with Chloe now dimmed into a tiny flicker.  Frowning, he hardened his resolve as he straightened with a determined gleam in his eye.  He was the Devil -- he was not about to let some bloody fish thwart his plans!  Before Chloe could put the car in reverse, he hopped out and approached the officer, despite his partner telling him to come back.

“Hello, officer,” he said with a grin.  “Surely you can let us go down and sit on the sand?”

“Not with sharks in the area, sir,” the man replied.

“Ah.  Well then, may I ask you -- what is it you desire?” Lucifer asked, pulling up his charm.  He heard Chloe say his name sharply behind him, but he ignored her as he took a step closer to the officer.

“I... uh... I really want to go to the Wisconsin State Fair and win the annual mooing contest.”  The man beamed.  “I’ve been practicing night and day.  Want to hear?”

“Ah... no.”  Lucifer blinked at him for a moment.  Humans wanted the strangest things....  “Right.  I think I can help you there.” Pulling out a wad of cash, Lucifer peeled off several hundred dollar bills.  “How about you take this money for plane fare -- you know you want to -- and just let us picnic on the shore?  Surely there can’t be any harm in that?”

“Uhhhh....”

“Come on, isn’t a little extra cash what you desire?”  When the man looked at the money hungrily, Lucifer pressed his charm a little harder.  “Think of winning that trophy for mooing....”

With a pleased expression on his face, the officer took the cash, then stepped aside.

“I want to see the shark!” Trixie yelled from inside the car.  At the little child’s cry, Lucifer peeled off another hundred dollar bill from his wad of money and handed it to the officer.

“Right.  We’ll just take these, if you don’t mind,” Lucifer said as he relieved him of the binoculars around his neck.  

The man waved them in.  “Go on through.”  

Popping back into the car, Lucifer got a glare from Chloe for his troubles.  “Seriously, Lucifer?”

“What?  He wanted to win the annual mooing contest.  Who am I to stand in the way of his desires?”

She rolled her eyes as she drove into the parking lot.  “You’re bad.”

He grinned at her.  “I’m the Devil, my dear.  Of course I’m bad -- but in an entirely good way, you understand!”

They left the car and made their way to the empty beach, with Trixie happily scanning the ocean for any sign of the shark.  Lucifer had to laugh at the bloodthirsty little spawn -- she certainly would have made a good demon!

As he helped lay out a huge beach blanket on the sand, along with propping up a beach umbrella, he admired the long legs of his partner.  It was so rare to see her in shorts!  And a loose white blouse just added to her ethereal beauty.  Perhaps she wore a sexy bikini underneath?  His heart pounded furiously at the thought of watching her disrobe to reveal her luscious body to his hungry gaze.  Perhaps she would strip down... now?  And maybe ask him to spread lotion on her body?  His hands twitched in anticipation of touching her all over....

But she didn’t disrobe.  She sat under the large umbrella, laid out their food and laughed at him for wearing a suit to the beach.  He blinked in surprise.  What else would he wear?  The alternative was stripping down to nothing, which was actually quite appealing.  Would she notice his fine body and be impressed by his naked splendor?  Well, of course she would!  Who wouldn’t be stunned into silence by the perfection that was Lucifer Morningstar?

He almost started stripping right then and there, when he remembered the child.  If he exposed himself to the little one, Chloe would kill him in the most painful way possible, and he had no interest in giving the child an anatomy lesson either.  Dismay washed through him.  Oh well....

After they had eaten their lunch, Trixie spotted the telltale fin of the shark far offshore.  Jumping up and down in the sand, the little girl pointed while keeping the binoculars to her face.  How she managed to do that without gouging her eyeballs out was a mystery to the fallen angel.

“Shark!  Shark!” she yelled.  “And it’s chasing something!”  Lowering the binoculars, she turned anxious eyes to her mother.  “Do you think it’s a seal?”

“Not seal, monkey -- sea lion, and let me see,” Chloe said as she took the glasses and looked into them.  “No, not a sea lion -- more like a flying fish...?  Maybe?”  She handed the binoculars to the fallen angel.  “What do you think?”

He looked through the glasses, scanning the blue expanse for the shark.  After a few seconds, he saw the telltale fin, as well as the prey it was pursuing.  The little black creature bounded up out of the water, catapulting itself forward before diving back in as it dodged the killer behind it.

“Why, that ninny!” Lucifer cried, appalled.  

Chloe took the glasses from him.  “What is it?”

He turned to her, shocked.  “It’s Weaponizer.”

Trixie’s face lit up.  “Weaponizer’s back?”

Chloe stared at him, agape.  “It can’t be -- are you sure?”

Anger at the stubborn bird started to burn inside the Devil as realization hit him.  “What other penguin would be mad enough to come this far north, just to get himself eaten by a shark?  No, it has to be that silly, lovesick fool.”

“You have to save Weaponizer, you just have to!” Trixie cried, grabbing Lucifer’s hand and pulling.  “Isn’t there anything you can do?”

Lucifer gaped at the little girl.  “Me?”

“Trixie, no,” Chloe said firmly as she knelt down and got eye to eye with her daughter.  “That’s a shark out there, monkey.  Lucifer will get killed if he goes out -- and Weaponizer will be eaten before he reaches him, anyway.”

Tears filled the little girl’s eyes and her chin wobbled as she stared first at her mother, then at the fallen angel.  Lucifer stared back, not understanding the stabbing pain in his heart, or the sudden roiling in his stomach.  Why did his insides feel like someone had stomped all over him?

“There’s nothing he can do?”  Trixie bit her lower lip as tears filled her eyes.

“He’s not a superhero, baby.  We’ll just have to hope that Weaponizer can outswim the shark.”

A flash of inspiration struck Lucifer at Chloe’s words.  If he saved the silly penguin, would Chloe think he was a superhero?  Would she look upon him with favor, as she used to before the whole Barnes incident?  Would she smile at him with that teasing air once more?  Excitement burst through him like fireworks exploding in the sky.  If he saved Weaponizer, would she give him a kiss?  Or perhaps even... have sex with him?  

Right.  Now he had to save the penguin!

He wasn’t a superhero, he was better -- he was the Devil!  And the Devil could do anything, including impressing the woman that he -- he --

He what?  There was that strange feeling once again, of almost -- but not quite -- knowing what he thought and felt for Chloe.  The ability to identify his emotions was just beyond his reach -- he could brush it with his fingertips but couldn’t grasp it.

Shrugging inwardly, he decided not to let it bother him.  His mind would tell him what he wanted to know... eventually.  Right now he had a bird to save, and a woman to impress!  He shucked off his jacket and tossed it onto the sand.  His shoes were next.

Chloe grabbed his arm hard, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.  “What the hell are you doing?!”

He looked at her, surprised at her question.  “I’m going in to get that bloody penguin.”

She looked horrified.  “You can’t!  That’s a fourteen foot great white out there!”

“I’m well aware of how long the fish is.”  He turned to Trixie and handed her his shoes.  “Take care of these for me, will you, child?  That’s fine Italian leather.  And keep the sand out of them.”

As he turned toward the sea, Chloe threw her arms around him from behind.  “I won’t let you go -- you’ll get yourself killed!”

Lucifer brightened at her touch.  She was embracing him!  That meant that she cared, didn’t it?  Warmth filled his chest, making his insides melt.  How wonderful it felt to have someone who cared if he got killed.  Not that he’d get killed -- well, he might, since she made him mortal, but surely she’d be far enough away so that he could wrestle the shark?  The thought of rescuing the ninny penguin and earning sex in return sent a thrill down his spine.  He could do this -- battle the shark and come back a hero!

“I’m the Devil, my dear.  The shark doesn’t scare me,” he said with a reassuring smile as he pulled her hands from around his waist.  “Now if I don’t hurry, that ninny bird is going to get killed --”

“No.”

He sighed.  It looked like Chloe was going to be stubborn, and he had no intention of letting this opportunity to be a hero slip through his fingers.  “Very well, you leave me no choice.”  Before she could say or do anything, he tossed her over his shoulder and headed for the beach blanket.  

“What are you -- put me down!”  Chloe beat his back and rear with her fists -- which had him feeling quite stimulated -- while Trixie watched with wide eyes.  

Lucifer grinned.  “As you wish.”  Moving faster than the eye could follow, he lowered her onto the blanket and bundled her up like a taquito.  With no rope to bind her with, he knew it would only be a matter of seconds before she escaped, but that was all the time he needed.  Glancing at Trixie, who turned shocked eyes to him, he said, “Right.  You and your mother stay here.  I’ll be back.”

And with that, he strode to the water and hopped in, doing a butterfly stroke to get over the waves.

He hadn’t anticipated the amount of drag his dress shirt and trousers created.  Nakedness would have been far better, but there hadn’t been time for that.  Concentrating on getting to the penguin as fast as possible, he put his head down and plowed ahead.  His superior strength gave him the power he needed to swim swifter than a human.  In a matter of minutes he had intercepted the giant shark, who was still snapping at the penguin.

Preoccupied with its prey, the big creature didn’t even seem to notice the fallen angel until he barreled into its side, grappling the giant gray body.  The sea erupted in a frothing mass of bubbles as the shark rolled and flipped at the unexpected attack, pulling Lucifer down with it under the water.  The fallen angel hung on as he struggled to keep the fish’s giant maw away from him.

Sharp teeth bit into his arm and chest, but while Lucifer could feel the hard pressure, he didn’t feel pain.  Luckily he was far enough away from the detective that he was immortal, otherwise he would have been killed in an instant.  Grinning at the shark, he let his human glamour recede as he wrestled with the beast.  For long moments they fought against each other until, as if realizing it was facing something otherworldly, the shark released its grip on him and swam quickly away.

Restoring his human glamour, Lucifer shot to the surface of the water and scanned the area for the little penguin.  “Weaponizer!  Where are you?”

For a moment the fallen angel wondered if the bird had fled while he had distracted the shark, but then he noticed a small black and white body floating on the surface of the water.  Fear shot through him as he hurried over to the bird’s side.  Was he too late?  Reaching out with a trembling hand, he touched the penguin’s back.  The bird didn’t move, but Lucifer could feel a shudder pass through the little body.  He didn’t see any injuries, but....

“You ninny,” he muttered as he gently took a hold of him and began swimming back to shore.  “You could have died.  Why did you come back?”

When Lucifer walked out of the surf, carrying the penguin in his arms, Chloe and Trixie both ran to him and hugged him hard.  Oh, this was nice!  Was this what superheroes felt when they saved the day?  He did wish he still looked neat and impeccably dressed, though.  His hair must look a fright, all curly and wild --

Trixie’s fearful voice broke into his meandering thoughts.  “Is he dead?”

He shook his head.  "I don’t think so, but I’m not sure.”

Chloe gently took Weaponizer from his arms and handed the bird to Trixie.  “Put him on the towel while we gather up our things.  We have to take him to a veterinarian.”

The little girl nodded once, carefully handling the bird as she turned and walked away.  Chloe turned to Lucifer, her eyes full of worry as she touched his torn shirt and ran her hands over his chest as she looked for blood.  “What the -- you were bitten?!”

“Yes, but I’m fine.”  Oh, the feel of her warm hands on his wet shirt was doing funny things to his insides!  His heart thumped faster and he grinned as Chloe hugged him, causing all sorts of butterflies to take flight in his stomach.  Oooh, another hug!  If this was all it took to get some attention from his partner, he’d fight a shark every day of the week for her!  Surely she would give him a kiss next?  After all, it was the logical progression of things --

Pain exploded in his jaw as she planted her fist in his face.  His head snapped back and he took a step backward to steady himself.  “Bloody hell, Detective!”

“You idiot!” she yelled at him.  “You could have been killed!  You scared me to death -- don’t ever do that again!”  With that, she turned on her heel and left him to help Trixie gather their things, leaving Lucifer stunned at the shoreline.

“But... what about my kiss?” he asked plaintively.

________________________________________

Chloe drove them all to her apartment, since Trixie wanted to look after Weaponizer.  On the drive home, she glanced in the rearview mirror at the limp bird being held gingerly in her daughter’s lap.  Concern shot through her, tightening her features.  She hoped with everything inside her that the penguin would survive.

They all piled into the apartment.  Trixie took Weaponizer to the living room and laid a towel out onto the coffee table.  The little girl carefully placed the penguin on his stomach, which seemed to be the most comfortable position for him, and stroked his back.  Chewing her lower lip, Chloe watched her daughter for a moment before going to the kitchen to fetch some water for the bird.  Preoccupied in her worry, she didn’t hear Lucifer walk up behind her.   She nearly jumped out of her skin when he reached out to fetch the bowl from the cupboard for her.  He was so close that she could feel his body heat pouring off of him.

“Oh, you startled me,” she said with a nervous laugh as she glanced up at him.  He didn’t back away, overwhelming her with his nearness.  Her stomach did somersaults as her heart slammed out a frantic beat.  She felt like a gawky teenager at a high school dance, standing next to the star varsity football quarterback.

Lucifer’s face was soft and full of concern.  “Are you all right, Detective?  You’ve been very quiet.”

Chloe’s heart squeezed painfully.  Whenever he looked at her in that caring manner, as if she was the only one in the world for him, she wanted to throw herself in his arms and cast caution to the wind.  It was at times like these, when he was so sensitive to her moods, that she felt herself falling just a little more in lo--

No.  Not that.  They were partners.  That was it.

She brutally reminded herself that Lucifer slept with any number of beautiful women every night.  Why would he look at a tired detective in her thirties with a nine-year old daughter?  He wouldn’t, plain and simple.  She wasn’t young, she wasn’t nubile -- the truth was that she just wasn’t his type.  He was just being kind -- that was it.  He felt nothing for her other than friendship, and she had to remember that.  

But oh, when he looked at her like that, it was so easy to forget....

“Come on, Detective,” he said encouragingly.  “You can tell me.  What’s wrong?”

“It’s not important,” she said as she took the bowl from him and turned away.  How could she tell him that he had completely rattled her by fighting with a man-eating shark?  Didn’t he realize how much he meant to her?  He could have died!  Died, like Weaponizer might now die, and she would have been lost without him....

But she couldn’t -- wouldn’t -- tell him that.  No, she had to keep this professional.

He leaned close to her ear, his voice low and seductive.  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

A shiver of arousal shot through her, causing her fingers to tighten on the bowl.  She was surprised that it didn’t shatter to pieces in her hands.  With careful movements, she placed it on the counter beside the sink.  She had no intention of telling him her true worry, so she thought quickly for a substitute.

“It’s just that... well, I’m... worried about Weaponizer.”  Whirling around, she looked up at him, standing right beside her -- only a hair’s breadth away.  Oh my, he was so close....  “What if he dies?  Trixie will be crushed....”

He stared down at her, his eyes looking so very dark and intense.  “He won’t die, my dear -- at least not from lack of care.  I’ve called an avian veterinarian, who will arrive shortly.”

Touched by his words, Chloe gazed up at him for a long moment before giving him a small smile.  “You’re a nice man.”

He snorted.  “The Devil is not nice.”

A chuckle escaped her.  “I’m not talking about the Devil, Lucifer, I’m talking about you.”  Reaching out, she took his hand in hers and squeezed.  “You’re nice.  You almost make me believe everything will be okay.”

Lucifer looked down at her, his expression serious and impassioned.  “It will be.  Believe me, he’ll have the very best care.”

He was so kind...!  Warmth burst from her heart and spread through her body as she stared up at his handsome face.  Her eyes searched his, surprised to see something there....  Something....

“Lucifer,” she whispered.  They were so close....  If she just leaned up a bit, their lips would touch....

“Yes?”  His voice dropped down to a low whisper, and his lips parted as he gazed down at her, his eyes growing impossibly darker....

A hard knock on the front door had them breaking apart instantly.  Suddenly realizing that she had been about to kiss her partner on the lips, Chloe hurriedly turned her back to him, reaching for the bowl and filling it with water.  Her fingers were clumsy as she fumbled with the faucet handle, while Lucifer cursed under his breath.

“The vet is here!” Trixie cried as she raced into the kitchen and grabbed her mother’s arm, dragging her to see the newcomer.  Bowl in hand, Chloe struggled not to spill water everywhere as she went with her daughter.  Lucifer followed silently.

The bird veterinarian turned out to be a jaw-droppingly beautiful woman who threw herself at Lucifer and kissed him voraciously on the mouth.  Chloe was suddenly glad she hadn’t kissed Lucifer.  Good god, how would she be feeling, if she had?  Probably just as bad as she was feeling right now, she reflected ruefully.  Sighing, she introduced herself and led the vet to Weaponizer.

The detective was relieved to see that at least the woman was good at her job.  The vet took her time with the penguin, giving him an extensive check up.  By the end of the examination, she announced, “It’s exhaustion.  Make sure he has plenty of rest and keep him cool, with a good source of water around.”

“I appreciate your coming by,” Lucifer told her with a smile.

The vet stroked his cheek, a hungry look in her eyes.  “You know I’d come for you any time, Lucifer.”

Jealousy erupted in Chloe’s veins.  An overwhelming urge to vomit hit her as she watched the vet flirt shamelessly with the tall man.  Shaking her head, she told herself repeatedly that she did not have feelings for Lucifer.  Uh-uh, no way.   Sure, he had become protective of her during the Frank Barnes incident, but so what?  It did not melt her insides and make her weak in the knees.  No.  Not at all.  Even if no one -- not even Dan -- had ever protected her or cared for her the way Lucifer did, it meant nothing, right?  He was just being kind.  They were partners.  Friends.  Partners did that for each other.  So she had to stop being jealous -- ripping the vet’s hair out was not an option.  She had to get a hold of herself!

Squeezing her eyes shut, she turned away when Lucifer escorted the vet to the door and saw her off.  She did not want to see goodbye kisses or... whatever.  Focusing her attention on the little penguin, she caressed his head.  

“Is he going to be okay, Mommy?”  Trixie asked.

Chloe gave her an encouraging smile.  “Yeah, baby.  We just have to let him rest.”

“Stubborn little fellow, isn’t he?”  Lucifer’s voice at her side startled her.  She hadn’t expected him to be done so soon with his goodbyes to the vet.

“I think it’s sweet that he came back all this way for Findus.”  she glanced at her partner.  “When is Ella coming by?”

He checked his watch.  “Right.  I had called when we arrived here -- she should be here shortly.”  A knock on the door had him brightening.  “Ah.  There she is.”

When he went to answer the door, Chloe heard Ella’s cheerful voice.  “I’m here, and I brought Findus!”

Turning, Chloe beckoned her over.  “Great!  Just what Weaponizer needs.”

Grinning, the dark-haired woman approached with the little striped kitten in her arms.  “So this is the famous Weaponizer!”  Setting Findus down on the table, she knelt down to get a better look at the penguin.  “He’s so cute!  Is he okay?”

“Exhausted from his three thousand mile journey, apparently,” Lucifer chimed in.

They all watched Findus dash over to the penguin, tripping over her own paws in her hastiness.  Giving a little meow, she licked his beak, but he didn’t stir.  She paced a bit in front of him, crying piteously, before squeezing herself under his flipper and snuggling close to his side.

“Wow, she really likes him!”  Ella exclaimed.  “I mean, dude... I would have thought they’d hate each other!”

Trixie grinned up at her.  “It’s true love!  Weaponizer chased Findus all around until she finally started liking him!  It was really funny!”

“Awww, that’s so sweet!” the lab tech said.

Lucifer rolled his eyes.  “The bird is a ninny.  He was fine in the Galapagos, with his own kind --”

Chloe playfully whacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand.  “You can’t stop the course of true love.”

He looked at her, a strange expression on his face, as he rubbed the spot where she had struck him.  “No, I suppose not.”

________________________________________

Lucifer was happy to have Chloe knitting beside him that night as they watched over the two animals.  They both worked on gifts for the penguin -- she made a blue pillow, while he made a colorful blanket of red, blue and yellow.  The fallen angel had hoped that they could recapture the wonderful mood they had shared in the kitchen, but it had dissipated like fog burning off on a hot day.  Chloe was all business.  He couldn’t understand it.  He was sure she had felt something for him earlier -- after all, they had come so close to kissing...!

But perhaps that was why he found her so fascinating.  She wasn’t like any of the other humans at all -- she never did what he thought she would do.  It was frustrating, to be sure, but also wonderful to be surprised constantly... although he did long for that kiss.  Oh, how he dreamed of that moment with his detective!

Lucifer offered to care for Weaponizer and Findus while the penguin recuperated.  It gave him a chance to spend more time with Chloe, even though she had to go to work.  During the day he watched over the animals, while at night he bunked out on the couch and dreamed of having sex with Chloe.  Knowing she was just upstairs, sleeping soundly in some sexy negligee, was quite arousing.  He was tempted to peek in on her -- perhaps climb into bed naked with her -- but Weaponizer and Findus had other plans.

On that first night, once Weaponizer had opened his eyes and given Findus a hug and a nuzzle, the little cat jumped on Lucifer’s lap and kneaded him dangerously close to his wedding tackle.  It made the fallen angel decidedly nervous, for Chloe was nearby and he really didn’t want his splendid man-parts mauled by a kitten.  Weaponizer then got to his feet and waddled up onto Lucifer’s lap to join Findus.  The Devil had spent the entire night cursing the two animals who made a bed out of him.  It became their nightly ritual, preventing Lucifer from peeking in on Chloe and sleeping naked next to her.  The fallen angel was not happy.

Trixie was overjoyed to see Weaponizer waddling around, following Findus everywhere.  She thought it was cute.  Lucifer rolled his eyes.  Cute, hah!  He didn’t trust that sneaky penguin -- Weaponizer definitely had a mind of his own.  Although the penguin obviously loved Findus, he also encouraged her to do bad things, like make a cozy nest out of Lucifer’s knitting, or play soccer with the Devil’s yarn.  And the one time where the fallen angel had found the two scamps playing in a giant pile of flour didn’t even bear thinking about!  Just how the flour ended up on the kitchen floor was still a mystery, but the Devil was sure Weaponizer had something to do with it.  Somehow they managed to get Lucifer covered in flour, which earned him a scolding from Chloe, who blamed him for the mess!  The fallen angel was convinced that Weaponizer was Evil Incarnate.

The bloody bird had even managed to tame Maze!  Maze, his trusty demon, who should have sliced the penguin into ribbons.  The first time she had seen Weaponizer, she said with a hungry grin, “Mmm.  Never eaten penguin before.  Might be tasty.”  The evil creature had shown no fear, merely ran up to the demon and gave her a grin and a flipper hug.  Maze had curled her lip in disgust and quickly escaped to her room.

But after a week, Weaponizer finally got his just deserts.  The Devil had filled up the downstairs bathtub with water, as he did everyday after Chloe and Trixie left, and set up a temporary ramp so that Weaponizer could go swimming if he wished.  On this day, Weaponizer encouraged a hesitant Findus up the ramp.  Lucifer, knitting in a chair nearby, spotted the activity and walked over to watch.  

Weaponizer hopped into the bath then hopped out, splashing water on the little kitten and dancing in front of her like a disco ninny.  Findus meowed, shaking off the water and eyeing the bathtub with a decidedly cautious air.  A smile quirked on Lucifer’s lips as the bird nudged the kitten toward the water’s edge.

“Do you really think that’s wise?” he asked.  Weaponizer glanced at him and squawked.  Circling the little kitten, he gave another nudge to her behind, managing to knock her into the water.

The screech that Findus let out had both penguin and fallen angel rushing over to the edge of the bathtub.  

Weaponizer dove in and came up under her, so that she rode on his back until Lucifer fished her out.  The soaked little kitten hissed and spat at the fallen angel, who swiftly put her down on the tiles.

“Bloody hell!  Don’t blame me -- it was the penguin!” he cried as he dried her off with a fluffy towel.  

Weaponizer hopped out of the bath and waddled over to Findus, bowing his head low in apology.  The kitten hissed, then turned her nose up at him and, with head held high, walked away.  Weaponizer stared after her, then glanced up at Lucifer with his beak hanging open in shock, before chasing after her.

For the rest of the morning, Findus gave Weaponizer the cold shoulder, ignoring him completely.  The penguin grabbed the throw that Lucifer had been knitting -- one that the fallen angel was particularly proud of -- and shredded it to pieces to make a nest.  He tried to beckon the little kitten into it, but she just walked away.  With a sad squawk, he followed, his head hanging low.  

When lunch came around, Lucifer put out cat food for Findus and anchovies for Weaponizer.  He watched with amusement as the bird picked through his meal, rejecting fishes left and right as he searched through the pile.

“They’re all the same, you silly prat,” Lucifer told him.  “What are you looking for?”

Weaponizer ignored him, searching until he found the finest, most delectable-looking anchovy on his plate. Swiping it up in his beak, he dashed over to Findus, who had finally deigned to sit in the yarn nest.  Bowing repeatedly, he set it before her and offered it to her with a soft chirp.  The little kitten turned her rear to the penguin and steadfastly ignored him.

Lucifer didn’t think a penguin could look crushed, but Weaponizer did.  Shoulders slumped, the little bird waddled back to the fallen angel and honked dejectedly.

“She’s your girlfriend.  What do you expect me to do?” he said.  

Weaponizer only gazed at him with sad eyes, then went to sit in a corner.

Lucifer’s heart gave a squeeze.  He knew how the poor bird felt, for Chloe had given him the cold shoulder after he had rolled her in a blanket when he went after Frank Barnes.  It had been the most horrendous day of his life.  Not understanding his feelings one whit, he sighed and ran a hand over his face.

“Right, I’ll see what I can do.”  He pointed a finger at the bird.  “But you owe me.”

Lucifer got to work, making a delicious gourmet meal for Findus out of salmon, some vegetables and a little bit of pasta.  Once that was done, he topped it with the anchovy from Weaponizer and set it down by the kitten.  She studied it with interest and, after a slight hesitation, ate the food hungrily.  Next, he sat down with his knitting needles and made a variety of little toys for her -- a colorful yellow mouse, a blue and purple octopus, and a green and orange fish.  He was just finishing up when Chloe and Trixie came home.

Trixie ran immediately to Weaponizer, who looked mournfully at her, then turned to face the wall.  The little girl glanced at Lucifer with worry in her eyes.  “What’s wrong with him?”

“Girlfriend troubles,” the fallen angel said as he completed the last of the knitted creatures.

Chloe’s eyes were full of curiosity as she approached him.  “What are you doing?”

He sighed as he gathered up the little toys.  “Trying to make things right for the prat.”  Walking over to the corner where Weaponizer had sequestered himself, the fallen angel scooped up the bird with one hand and brought him over to the nest where Findus sat.

“You two have to make up,” he told the two animals.  “Findus, these toys are from Weaponizer.  He’s sorry about pushing you into the water and promises never to do it again.”  He glared at the penguin.  “Right?”

Weaponizer gave a squawk.

Lucifer placed the toys at Findus’s feet and pushed the penguin toward her.  “Right.  Now kiss and make up -- or do I have to smash your faces together?”

He heard Chloe and Trixie laughing behind him, but he ignored them, glaring at the kitten and the penguin until Findus finally looked at Weaponizer.  With a soft meow, she sidled up next to him and ran her tail under his chin.  The look the bird gave Lucifer was one of unadulterated joy.

“Pillock,” he muttered as he straightened his long frame and looked down at the two animals, now curled up happily next to each other.  As Findus started kneading Weaponizer’s back with her paws, giving him a massage, the penguin gave out trills of delight.  Lucifer shook his head in disgust.  “Ninny.  And that was my best throw, you bloody bird.”

Trixie went to sit next to them while Chloe followed Lucifer, who picked up Findus’s empty food dish and took it to the kitchen.  As he set it down in the sink, he was surprised to find Chloe right at his elbow.  Her eyes were gentle and she was smiling -- she hadn’t looked at him like that since they had been tied up in yarn together...!  Her expression took his breath away.  He couldn’t hear anything, but for the pounding of his heart.

“Detective --”

“That was a nice thing you did for Weaponizer.  You’re very sweet.”

He could barely get any words out.  She was so beautiful -- well, she was beautiful all the time, really, but especially when she looked upon him with favor!  At that instant he swore he’d treat that bird like a bloody king, if this was what it resulted in!  

Chloe wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug.  

He stiffened immediately, unsure of what to do and thrilled to the marrow of his bones that she was embracing him.  Might she kiss him?  Dare he even dream?  His heart thumped fiercely as warmth permeated his bones, sending tingles into his hands and shortening his breath.  

But before he could even wrap his arms around her, she broke away and went back to the living room to watch over Findus and Weaponizer.  Lucifer was left all alone in the kitchen, wondering what had just happened.

“But... but... my kiss?” he asked the empty room.

________________________________________

Chloe sat Lucifer down at the dining room table that night, after Trixie had gone to bed and Maze had left to go visit Linda Martin.  After glancing at the two animals curled up on the shredded throw, asleep, she looked back at him, not sure how to broach the subject bothering her.

“It’s been a week,” she finally said.  “They can’t stay in the apartment forever.”

He looked crestfallen.  “They can’t?”

“Weaponizer needs a lot more water than a little bathtub, and you shouldn’t be trapped here, making sure those two don’t get into trouble.  You have a club to run --”

“I have people to help out with that --”

“But you shouldn’t have to depend on them.  You must be going stir-crazy.”

“I like spending time with you.”

Chloe felt the blood rush into her cheeks at his simple words.  He... he liked spending time with her?  That had to be one of the sweetest things he had ever said to her!  But then she shook her head.  She had to remember who was talking -- Lucifer Morningstar, playboy extraordinaire, sweet talker who slept with anything that moved.  And although he never lied to her, his statement didn’t mean he loved her -- friends could easily enjoy each other’s company.

She sighed.  She was making their relationship far too complicated, and it had to stop.  He was her partner -- nothing more.  Coming home to him everyday for a week had been bliss, but it wasn’t real... and Chloe needed real.

“Well, Weaponizer can’t stay here, no matter how much we want him to.”

Lucifer looked horrified.  “What are you suggesting, Detective?  Not... not the bloody zoo?!”

“What?  No!” she cried.  “But... maybe the Aquarium of the Pacific?  They have a penguin habitat.”

His face took on a stubborn expression.  “Absolutely not.  He desires to be with Findus -- after all, he traveled three thousand miles to be with her.  I’m not about to separate them again.  He deserves to be happy with the one he wants.”

Chloe stared at her partner before a tender smile touched her countenance.  “Why, Lucifer -- you’re a romantic!”

“What?!”  He snorted even as a deep blush stained his cheeks.  “Don’t be absurd.  The Devil is not a romantic.”

“But you are!”  She took his hand and squeezed.  “I like that you’re a romantic.”

His blush grew even redder, spreading across his entire face and even to the tips of his ears.  “I... well, no... but... I mean --” he sputtered.

Chloe frowned.  She really shouldn’t tease him -- it obviously discombobulated him.  With a sigh, she straightened and got down to business.  “So what do you suggest, then?”

“Well... I think... a house.  With a pool.”  Lucifer nodded, becoming more confident as he expanded on his ideas.  “Somewhere where they could be together all the time.”

“It’d have to be an indoor pool,” she warned.  “It’s too hot in the summer for Weaponizer.  The house will have to be temperature controlled.”

“Yes!  Splendid idea!”

“And it’s best to keep Findus inside, anyway -- if you have them in the hills, a coyote might eat her.”

“Right.  Good thinking, Detective!”  He tapped his chin as he glanced at the ceiling.  “We can put a couch by the pool and knit while we look after the little scamps!”

Chloe felt excitement burst within her at Lucifer’s suggestion.  “We can all help take care of them....”

“Yes!  We’ll all get keys!  You, me, Maze, Linda, Amenadiel... and perhaps the douche, although I’m not sure he’d cooperate.”

“I’m sure he’ll pitch in and help.  This is a wonderful plan!”

Lucifer grinned as he puffed his chest out.  “Of course it is, Detective!  I thought of it, after all.”

Warmth coursed through her as she studied her happy partner.  He was so proud of himself, and she was proud of him as well, for coming up with such a novel solution.  “You did good, Lucifer.  You deserve a reward.”

His face brightened.  “Indeed, Detective?”  A sultry smile touched his mouth as his eyes grew hungry.  “And what might my reward be?”

Uh-oh.  Perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything, for Playboy Lucifer had just made an appearance, but he was so much fun to tease....  Reaching out, she stroked his cheek.  “Something really good,” she said as she let her voice drop down to a sexy drawl.

“Lovely!”  He leaned forward, practically humming with excitement.  “Whatever it is, I’m ready for it.”

“Okay, just wait here one moment and close your eyes.”  She watched to make sure he did what she had asked, then went to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of whipped cream and cut a slice of apple pie.  Setting them in front of him she said, “And here you are!”

When his eyes opened, lighting on the can of whipped cream first, she swore he was going to do handsprings -- but then he saw the pie in front of him.  The gleam in his eyes dimmed, and his shoulders slumped.  “Oh.”

Chuckling, she patted his shoulder.  “You didn’t think I meant something else, did you?”

“Well....”  He gazed at her, his eyes full of mischief.  “I did, actually.”  A wicked grin graced his face as he reached over and picked up the can of whipped cream.  “And we can make it better with this...?”

Laughing, she danced away.  “And that’s my cue to leave.  Good night, Lucifer!”

She heard him chuckle behind her as she headed upstairs.  “You’re a tease, Detective,” he yelled after her.  “Lucifer likes!”

________________________________________

“Lucifer’s going to buy a house for a penguin?”

Dan started laughing as his ex told him about her partner’s wild plan.  He had to admit that this was over the top, even for the weirdo nightclub owner.  Chloe only glared at him, her annoyance clearly visible on her face.  Seeing that, Dan tried his best to stifle his amusement and get himself under control.  

“I think it’s sweet,” the blonde detective said as her eyes narrowed.  “It’s far better than Weaponizer ending up in a zoo.”

The penguin’s name just got him laughing all over again.  “He named a penguin after one of the greatest action heroes of all time?  You gotta be kidding me.”  He shook his head.  “I mean, come on Chloe, you gotta admit, he’s gone a little nuts on this one.”

“It’s not nuts, Dan.  Lucifer sent Weaponizer back to the Galapagos where he belongs, but he swam back.  He wants to be with us.”

He frowned.  “Chloe, Galapagos penguins are endangered.  Don’t you think it would be better putting him in a zoo?  At least he’d be well cared for --”

She scowled and pushed him aside as she walked back to her desk.  “Forget I even mentioned it.”

“Wait, wait, wait!”  Dan hurried after her, not wanting his ex to be mad at him.  “Look, I’m sorry, okay?  He wants to stay with you.  I get it.  Now what was it you wanted to ask me?”

She stopped so abruptly that he bumped into her.  Whirling around, she stared hard at him.  “You won’t laugh?”

He schooled his face into something he hoped looked serious.  “No.”

She studied him for a long moment before the tension left her body.  “Okay.  I wanted to ask if you’d like to help us take care of Weaponizer and Findus.  We figured everyone could take turns.  We’ll keep the house stocked full of food and make sure it’s got cable, wi-fi, the latest games....  You know, so whoever comes over won’t be too bored watching over the animals.”  She smiled, her face lighting up.  “What do you think?  Will you help?”

He wanted to tell her that he thought the entire thing was just crazy, but she looked so excited that his heart gave a little squeeze.  He could remember when she used to look at him like that....  A feeling of wistfulness overtook him, and he found himself agreeing.  “Well, I guess I could lend a hand.”

Chloe’s expression made everything worthwhile.  Her face broke into a huge grin.  “Thanks, Dan.”  She started to walk away before she stopped mid-step and turned back around.  “Listen, this Saturday night... Lucifer’s rented one of the rinks at the Toyota Sports Center so that Weaponizer can get out on the ice.  Trixie and I will be going.  Would you like to join us?  It will give you a chance to get to know the little guy.”

Surprise shot through Dan, and he found himself smiling in return.  He’d take any time he could get with them.  “I’d like that.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the ice.”

“Great!”  She waved, then walked back to her desk with a little spring in her step.

Dan watched her go, wondering what the hell he had just gotten himself into, although it would be nice to spend time with Trixie and Chloe again.  He could close his eyes and pretend they were still a family....

Chuckling over Lucifer’s crazy antics, he passed one of the officers on the way back to his desk -- Jack Sorkin.  That man looked up as he walked by.  

“Hey, Dan, what’s so funny?”

“Huh?  Oh.”  He smiled at his coworker.  “Morningstar’s gone and done something really wacky this time.”

“Oh yeah?  Like what?”

“Bought himself a Galapagos penguin.”  Dan was surprised to see Sorkin perk up at his words, for he usually wasn’t one to show interest in anything.  The fellow was okay, albeit somewhat lazy, but they often laughed together at Lucifer’s frequent bizarre antics.

“Really?” The short, burly man cocked his head.  “Those birds are expensive.  They go for a lot on the black market.”

“You don’t say?”  Dan shrugged.  “I guess they would, being endangered.  I haven’t seen him yet.  Lucifer’s rented a rink at the Toyota Sports Center to let the little guy waddle on the ice.  I’ll get to see him then.”

“Oh yeah?  When are you going?”

“Saturday night.”

“Cool, man.  Have fun.”

Dan waved at the other man and headed back to his desk, his mind already on other things.

________________________________________

“Are you kidding me?”  Maze bared her teeth at Lucifer.  “No.  No way.”

Sitting in the armchair in Chloe’s apartment, the Devil frowned as he studied the demon who perched on the arm of the couch.  “Come on, Maze --”

“That -- that --”  She pointed furiously at Weaponizer peeking around a corner at her.  “That penguin snuck into my room and pulled out all my bondage equipment for his little furry playmate to tear up!”

“You said you wanted to replace that whip, anyway --”

“He has it in for me!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Maze,” Lucifer said as he waved dismissively.  “Weaponizer likes you more than anyone else.  He certainly gives you enough hugs --”

She bared her teeth at the Devil.  “He does that because he knows it makes me feel all gooey inside, and I don’t like it!  That bird is evil, I tell you!”

He lifted an eyebrow at her and smirked.  “I would have thought you’d appreciate an evil bird.”

“I don’t see you jumping up and down for joy when that penguin gets into your damned knitting.”

He glowered at her but said nothing.  What could he say?  He thought Weaponizer was evil, as well... or at least very naughty.  Sighing, he tried again.  “Right.  He and Findus will have their own place and won’t be into your things.  All I’m asking is one night a week.  You just have to check in on them, spend a little time with them... it won’t be so bad.”  He did his best puppy dog impression.  “Come on, Maze, what do you say?”

The demon glared at him for a long time, before finally rolling her eyes.  “Fine.  Fine!  Just... just put your stupid puppy dog eyes away.  You look constipated.”

Lucifer broke out into a wide grin.  “You won’t regret it.”

“I regret it already.”

With a loud honk, Weaponizer quickly waddled out of the kitchen and hugged Maze, rubbing his cheek on her leg.  The demon curled her lip and tried to pull away, but the penguin held on firmly, clucking for joy.

“Make him stop!  Make him stop!” Maze howled in disgust.

Chuckling, Lucifer reached down and picked Weaponizer up.  Petting him on the back, he looked at his demon, who shuddered.  “Right.  Would you like to go to the ice skating rink with us on Saturday?  The detective and I thought it would be nice if this one gets on the ice for a bit.”

She cringed.  “I’d rather be forced to watch a Lifetime Movie marathon lasting a hundred days.”

The Devil’s lips quirked into a smile.  “Oh, very well, then.  I’ll get you a key once the pool is installed.”

As Maze made her escape to her room, Chloe walked in the door with Trixie.  Weaponizer hopped off Lucifer’s lap and ran toward the girl, who gave him a big hug.  Lucifer was thankful that the penguin took up the little spawn’s attention so that she wasn’t hugging him.  At the sound of Trixie’s voice, Findus came dashing over from the kitchen and threw herself at the child, who laughed with delight.  As Trixie took the animals into her bedroom, Chloe walked up to the fallen angel.

“How were things here?” she asked.

He smiled as he picked up his knitting project from the basket at his feet and started working.  “Im Westen nichts Neues.”  

Chloe blinked.  “Huh?”

“All quiet on the western front.”  Lucifer glanced at her as he shifted in his armchair to a more comfortable position.  “I had Maze watch over the scamps while I went to sign the escrow papers today.”

“You bought a house already?”  She gave a low whistle.  “That’s so fast!  I’m glad you were able to find a house with an indoor pool.”

Her praise turned his insides to mush as heat rose in his cheeks.  “Well, there aren’t that many in Southern California, and definitely not one for sale, but I found a house in Malibu with an open floor plan.    The contractors will start work tomorrow and work around the clock until it’s done.  They will install a pool in the very large living room, and it should be ready by Sunday.”  He beamed at her.  “I talked to a fiberglass pool manufacturer who is going to make a custom one that’s fifteen feet at the deep end for the little monster.”

“Wow!  You’re the best, Lucifer,” Chloe said in a warm voice as she leaned down and hugged him.

Unprepared for her quick embrace, Lucifer dropped his knitting at her touch.  He felt even more heat flood his cheeks as he glanced up at her, his stomach doing somersaults at her nearness.  She... she thought he was the best!  Might she even... kiss him this time?  He suddenly felt lighter than air at the possibility.  The impulse to soar all around the room and sing like a songbird flooded him, and he would have done so, if he still had his wings.  But of course he didn’t, so instead he merely cleared his throat and struggled to find his composure.

“Right. Yes.  Ah... right.  Maze has agreed to watch over the two scamps one day a week.”

“That’s great!  Dan’s agreed to help out, as well.”  Chloe sat down on the couch next to Lucifer’s armchair.  “I invited him to the rink on Saturday.”  He pulled a face, which had her swatting him playfully.  “Be nice.  He’ll be doing us a favor.”

“I suppose....”  He sighed.

“Are you going to be okay on Saturday?” she suddenly asked with concern.  “Have you ever ice skated before?”

“There’s no ice in Hell, Detective,” he said, blinking when Chloe rolled her eyes.  Why did she do that?  It was the truth....  “But if you humans can do it, how hard can it be?”

________________________________________

Lucifer was convinced that whoever had invented ice skating was a sadist.

First there were the ridiculous shoes.  Why would anyone want to walk on metal blades?  And for what purpose?  And then there was the bloody rink.  It just looked like a big white expanse -- nothing to be afraid of!  But there was a sheet of ice over the entire thing, making it dangerously slippery.

Chloe, Dan and Trixie made skating look easy.  They stepped on the ice without any problem and glided all over the floor with the greatest of ease -- as if they were born to it.  Lucifer had watched, fascinated, then fearlessly stepped on the ice, sure that he would be just as good at skating as they were.

It was... scary.  His feet suddenly felt like they did not belong to him.  Biting his lip in concentration, he tried to stand up straight.

Chloe skated up to him as he wobbled unsteadily.  “Do you need help?  Do you want to hold onto my arm?”

“I’m fine, Detective,” he said more confidently than he felt.

She only gave him a dubious look.

Panic hit him when he took a few tottering steps and felt his legs slip out from underneath him.  Falling backward, he cracked his head on the ice.  As he lay there, stunned, Chloe and Trixie crowded around and asked if he was all right, while the douche laughed uproariously.  Lucifer’s head throbbed and his back ached due to being mortal around the detective, while his pride lay in shreds all around him.  Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself to his feet -- and promptly fell forward, flat on his face.

It was absolutely horrifying.  As he lay there like a beached whale, Trixie let Findus and Weaponizer onto the ice.  The poor kitten was just as bad at tackling the slippery surface as the fallen angel, but the penguin scooted around, moving far more gracefully on his stomach than Lucifer could on his two feet.  The Devil watched in chagrin as the bird made lazy circles around him before scooting over to the kitten and popping upright.

“Hey, Lucifer, your bird is outshining you,” Dan snickered as he skated up to the prone man.  “What’s the matter?  Can’t find your feet?”

“My foot will be in your arse if you don’t shut up,” the fallen angel muttered under his breath as he bit his lower lip with grim determination.  “I have this under control,” he told himself.   Unwilling to be eclipsed by Dan, he struggled to his feet, only to fall and land on his rear.  The other man howled with laughter.  Lucifer glared at his uncoordinated legs lying splayed out in front of him.  “Bloody hell!”

“Aw, man, I should be videotaping you -- you’d be great on America’s Funniest Home Videos!”

The fallen angel shot his nemesis a dark look.  “Douche.”

The smile fell off of Dan’s face.  “Dick.”

Trixie tugged at her father’s hand.  “Why are you calling him Dick, Daddy?  His name is Lucifer.”

“Uhhhhh....”

Chloe skated over to her daughter and bent down to catch her eye.  “Trixie, why don’t you help Findus?  I think she’s having trouble.”  Then, gliding over to Lucifer, she helped him to his feet.  “Come on, lean on me.”

With her hand on his arm, Lucifer was able to stand shakily and not fall.  His heart skipped a beat before pounding into overdrive as sweat beaded his forehead.  His legs felt like Jell-O, but he wasn’t sure if that was from the ice skates or Chloe being so close to him.  Her touch sent warmth flaring through his body, and his stomach flip-flopped wildly.  

“Are you okay?” she asked, an encouraging smile on her face.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful under the rink lights, with her hair shimmering like gold and her aqua eyes warm and kind, that he could only nod.

“Link your arm with mine and hold on.  Let’s try to skate a bit, shall we?”

He clutched her arm nervously.  “I...  I’ll make you fall.”

Chloe patted his hand.  “You won’t.  Come on.”

As she pushed off the ice, she dragged him alongside of her, for he was unable to move his feet without slipping.  He was afraid he’d tumble to the floor and pull her down with him.  Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing, for he’d make sure he’d break her fall so that she’d land on top of him, and then they would kiss --

“Just relax,” she said.  “You’re way too stiff.”

Stiff?  Well, that was one way to put it!  He felt arousal burn through him at the thought of her lying on top of him, kissing him all over as he relieved her of her clothes --

“Let your body move....”

Oh he’d let his body move, all right.  He’d show her all his moves as they had sex right there on the ice --

His foot suddenly slipped, wrenching a cry from him as he staggered onto one knee on the ice and half-pulled her down.  A horrible heat rose up his neck and into his face, setting his skin tingling.  He was sure that his face was beet red.

“Oh no -- are you all right, Detective?”  Lucifer tried to stand and tripped over his skates.  Chloe fell on him, and they ended up in a tangle of arms and legs.  It wasn’t at all sexy like he had been imagining -- it was mortifying.

“I’m okay,” she said huskily, laughter in her voice as she got to her feet and helped him to his.

He grimaced as he wobbled dangerously on legs that he had no control over.  “Right.  This was a mistake.”

“Lucifer, you’re just learning!  Look, even Findus is doing her best.”  She pointed at the kitten who was clinging to Weaponizer’s back as he slid all over the rink on his stomach.  The fallen angel frowned in disgust at the overwhelming delight on the penguin’s face.

“She’s riding the ninny bird like a horse.”  He turned to Chloe and said with disdain, “I am not a horse.”  But then a wonderful, sexy image crossed his mind, and he grinned wickedly.  “Of course, if you want to ride me, I would happily accommodate you --”

She chuckled.  “Not going there, Lucifer.  Besides, if you look at Findus and Weaponizer, you’ll see that the novice is riding the expert, which means you would be riding me --”

His face lit up with glee as all sorts of X-rated pictures flashed through his brain.  “I can do that!”

“-- and I am not carrying you around on my back.  Now come on!  If Findus can give it a try, so can you.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know --”

He blinked.  “Of course Rome wasn’t built in a day.  What does that have to do with this bloody sadistic torture?”

Rolling her eyes, she just laughed at him.

Lucifer couldn’t understand what she found so amusing.  Humans were so puzzling at times!  Shrugging, he took a deep breath, feeling defeated by a simple pair of silly shoes with metal blades and a large expanse of ice.  “Right.  Skating is not for me.”

Chloe raised her eyebrows.  “You’re giving up?”

Biting his lower lip, he straightened his clothes with one hand, while the other clamped onto her arm with a death grip.  “ I’m not giving up.  I’m being practical.”

She shook her head, the sheen of her hair resembling golden sunshine as it caught the light.  “You are not being practical -- you are chickening out.”

“What?!  I am -- I am not!” he sputtered.  “That’s ridiculous.  The Devil doesn’t chicken out.”  He nodded firmly to make sure she understood.

Her eyes glinted as she lifted her chin.  “Prove it, then. Skate with me.”

Lucifer’s mouth worked soundlessly for a moment as he looked around him with trepidation.  He really didn’t like this, but he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge -- especially one from Chloe!  “Very well.  But don’t blame me if we end up falling.”

Chloe’s laughter rang out, echoing through the giant rink.  “We won’t fall.  Now come on!”

And so they skated around the ice with Lucifer holding onto his partner for dear life, as Dan and Trixie raced past them.  The blonde detective took it nice and slow, keeping a hold of the fallen angel as he built up his confidence.  Eventually he got the hang of skating, carrying himself with grace as he matched her gait, stroke for stroke.  A feeling of accomplishment swept through Lucifer.  

“See, you’re doing it!” Chloe cried.  He stood up straight, his chest puffing out with pride at her words.  She made him feel as if he had given her all the stars in the sky!  Only the detective could engender such warm, wonderful feelings in him.  Only her....

“Would you like to skate on your own?” She asked as they took another turn around the rink.  “You can try going solo --”

His heart suddenly pounded into overdrive as panic gripped him.  “No!  No thank you, Detective.  I... I like skating with you.”

He glanced at her and was surprised to see a blush spread across her face, even as a smile touched her lips.  “I like skating with you, too.”

They promenaded together for the rest of the night, arm in arm, oblivious to Dan, Trixie, Weaponizer and Findus -- content just to be with each other.

________________________________________

Exhausted and happy after hours of skating, they left the sports center and started the long trek through the large parking lot.  It had grown late, so although there were still cars about, the lot was devoid of people.  Chloe glanced up at the velvety black sky, admiring what few stars she could see.  It was a beautiful night.

The whole evening of skating had been beautiful, she reflected.  Lucifer had had difficulty when he first stepped onto the ice, but as she helped him, he’d grown more and more confident.  She was proud of her partner.  It took a big man to be able to accept help from another -- especially a woman.  She knew because Dan had problems with that -- even now.  But Lucifer had held onto her arm and skated, despite his fear.  Although she knew she should have encouraged him to skate solo, she figured that they could save that for another day.  Frankly, she had enjoyed the feel of his arm linked with hers too much to want it to end.

Sliding a glance at her companions, she surreptitiously watched Lucifer arguing with Dan about Weaponizer movies as he carried the little penguin and his kitten girlfriend in their travel crate.  Without a word, he had taken the bulky case from her when they had left the rink.  His considerate nature warmed her heart.  Whenever she had gone on outings with Dan, he had left her to carry everything like a packhorse, and today had not been an exception.  But Lucifer... he was a gentleman.

He was also good with Trixie, although she suspected he was afraid of the little girl.  Trixie danced beside him as they walked, peeking in the crate every once in a while, and staring up at Lucifer with bright eyes.  Chloe was surprised that her daughter had taken such a shine to her partner, but maybe she shouldn’t have been, for Lucifer was like a kid in a grown-up’s body.  Well, other than the sex.  She smiled to herself and shook her head.

These days she found herself thinking more and more of Lucifer as she saw his sensitive side, his kindness, and his considerate nature.  None of that had been much in evidence when she had first met him, but lately she could see what a good man he was, under all of the biting sarcasm and Devil shtick.  And despite all the women in his life, she sensed that he was a lonely man, damaged emotionally to a terrible extent.  What had his family done to him and what kind of life had hurt him so badly?  If only she could help him... heal him....  Love him --

No.  No no no.  He was her partner.  She should not be looking at him like boyfriend material!

And yet....

She chuckled to herself.  She was a fool.  Lucifer saw her only as a partner.  She had to remember that.

“Detective?  What’s so funny?”

Chloe looked at Lucifer, who was casting a puzzled glance in her direction.

“Oh... I was just thinking of something.”

He broke away from Dan and Trixie to walk next to her.  “And what might you be thinking of?”  His eyes took on a devilish glint.  “Or who?  Perhaps... me?”

Heat rose in her cheeks, and she was grateful for the dim lighting in the parking lot.  “I was remembering when you first stepped out onto the ice.”

“Bloody hell,” he cried as he rolled his eyes.  “Must you think of that travesty?”

“You have to admit, it was hilarious --”

“For you, perhaps.”  He scowled as their group wove between some cars.  “It was appalling.  The human who invented those wretched shoes could show the demons in Hell a thing or two about torture.”

She chuckled.  “You and your --”

“What the hell?!”  Dan’s exclamation and Trixie screaming interrupted their conversation.

Whirling around, they both saw Dan fighting with a man while another grabbed the little girl and held a gun to her head.  A third man had a gun drawn and was aiming it at her and Lucifer.  Dan’s attacker pushed him to the ground and kicked him.

“Get your hands up!” the one with Trixie bellowed.

Checking her instinct to draw her gun, she raised her hands as all sorts of scenarios played through her mind.  Brandishing her sidearm would put Trixie in danger, and that was unacceptable.  The assailants all had guns, so any resistance on her part would result in someone -- or maybe all of them -- getting shot.  Perhaps she could trade herself for Trixie...?  And then catch them when they lowered their guard....

“What do you want?” she demanded.

The man holding Trixie appeared to be the leader, for he waved his gun at the travel crate in Lucifer’s hand.  “The bird.  Hand over the bird!”

Chloe’s mouth fell open.  “How did you know --”

“It doesn’t matter!  Hand it over!”

Lucifer stepped neatly in front of Chloe and slowly approached the three robbers, drawing all of their attention to him.  “No need for violence, gentlemen.  I have the bird here.”  Stopping a few feet from the leader, he set the crate down on the ground.  “But let me ask you -- what is it you desire?”

The man blinked.  “I...  I want money.”

Chloe wanted to scream at her partner that now was not the time -- just hand him the crate! -- but she couldn’t move.  She stood frozen -- from fear, anxiety, and the horror unfolding around her.  One wrong move, and they were all dead....

“And the bird will get that for you?” Lucifer asked with his head cocked to one side.  Chloe couldn’t see him, but she could imagine a wicked smile playing about his lips -- the one he usually got when he worked his mojo on suspects.

“Yeah.  We’re going to get paid well for stealing it.”

“Ah.  Someone told you we had him, then.  I wonder who?” He paused in thought before shrugging.  “Ah well, no matter.”  His voice took on a persuasive timbre.  “Why don’t we make a deal, you and I?  Let the child go, leave the bird, and take me to the person who hired you.  I’m worth far more than you can imagine -- certainly more than you can get for the bird.”

Chloe felt the bottom drop out of her stomach.  “No, Lucifer --”

He didn’t take his eyes off of the leader, but said over his shoulder, “Right.  Let me do this, my dear.”

She felt torn in two.  On the one hand, her daughter was in danger, and on the other, Lucifer was willingly putting his life on the line.  She couldn’t bear to see anything happen to either one of them.  Turning to the gunman, she said, “Take me instead.”

Lucifer rounded on her then, his face furious.  “You are not doing this.”

“I can’t let you or Trixie get hurt --”

He turned back to the leader and said, “Right.  She’s a detective.  You don’t want to take a police officer, do you?”

Chloe nearly screamed in rage.  “Lucifer, what the hell are you --”

“While I, on the other hand, am a very rich nightclub owner who has millions of dollars.”

She grabbed his arm, yanking him back toward her.  “You can’t --”

“You have a daughter to take care of, Detective.  Let me do this.”

When Chloe saw the determined look in his eyes, all of her protests died in her throat.  He had suddenly become someone completely different from the funny, adorable man-child she was familiar with.  This man was dangerous, formidable, and filled with conviction.  Here was the Lucifer she had seen only a handful of times -- the one who threw a suspect through a plate glass window, or lifted a three hundred pound murderer over his head with one hand.  He was not going to take no for an answer.

He swung his gaze back at the gunman.  “Do we have a deal?”

The leader glanced at his cohorts, then back at the tall man.  “What’s to stop me from killing everyone here -- especially her, since she’s a cop -- and taking you and the bird?”

“If you harm anyone here or take the bird, you won’t get a single cent from me,” Lucifer said in a hard voice.  Then his tone softened as he coaxed, “I am worth millions.”

For a long moment the gunman considered, then said, “Okay.”  After ordering the other men to grab Lucifer and drag him forward, the leader shoved Trixie to the ground next to Dan.  Waving his gun at Chloe, he warned, “Call your buddies or follow us and your friend dies.”

“Don’t worry, Detective -- I’ll be fine!” Lucifer called out with a grin, once again the easy-going man-child Chloe knew, as they hustled him into a nearby car.

As the assailants took off with a roar, Chloe raced up to Dan and Trixie, hugged her daughter hard, then looked her over for injuries.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, Mommy.  But... Lucifer?”  

Fighting down her own terrible fear for her partner, Chloe hugged her distressed daughter again.  “Don’t worry, we’ll save him.”

Dan pulled himself to his feet, holding his ribs.  “Ugh.  Goddamn it.  Let’s get those guys!”

She shook her head.  “Do me a favor and take Trixie and the animals home for me.”

“Awww, but --”

“You’re injured.  And he’s my partner.”  Turning to her daughter, Chloe gave her a bracing smile.  “Don’t worry, monkey.  I’ll get him back.”

Fishing the phone out of her pocket, she dialed dispatch quickly.  “This is Decker.  I need a ping on Lucifer Morningstar’s cell....”

________________________________________

Lucifer sat quietly in the backseat of the car as his kidnappers drove him to an abandoned lot in Skid Row.  

Now that he was away from the detective, he was immortal and could take care of the cretins who had threatened his friends.  He paused, considering that thought.  Friends?  Did he have friends?  He was the Devil, after all... but yes, he supposed he did -- although, for some reason, he had wanted to say family.  But... he had no human family -- only a celestial one, and they weren’t in any danger.  

Well, whether they were friends or family, he was determined to protect them while getting to the bottom of this.  He’d find out who wanted to steal Weaponizer, and then he would make them all pay for endangering Chloe, Trixie, and yes, even the douche.  They would regret ever crossing his path.

When the car finally came to a halt, the kidnappers pulled him out and tossed him onto the ground.  Lucifer rose to his feet nonchalantly, despite having his hands tied behind his back.  He could easily slip out of the ropes, or even break them, but for now he kept them on.  Another car pulled up after about five minutes, and he watched a familiar figure get out.

Lucifer’s heart skipped a beat.  It was Jack Sorkin, from the precinct!

A furious expression crossed the detective’s face.  Grabbing one of the robbers by his shirt, he yelled, “Why did you bring him here?  Where’s the bird?!”

“Well, isn’t this a surprise?” Lucifer said with a grin as he looked at Sorkin.  “I didn’t realize you were into robbery.”

The man snorted.  “I’ve been doing this for years, and no one’s been the wiser.  Your bird will sell high on the black market, and I need the money -- especially with retirement still years away.  What I can’t understand is why these idiots would bring you here --”

“He said he was loaded,” the leader of the robbers cried.  “Said he’d bring in way more than the bird.”

Sorkin looked Lucifer over and lifted an eyebrow.  “Really?  I never knew you were that loaded.  I mean, I heard Dan talking about you, but...”  A crafty look came over his face.  “So... how much are you worth?”

“Millions... but you’re not going to get it.”

Slipping easily out of the ropes binding him, the Devil grabbed the robber closest to him and threw him across the lot.  Another man fired his gun at Lucifer, who jerked from the impact of the bullet, then smiled wickedly.  The fallen angel’s eyes lit with unholy glee as he walked up and punched his attacker in the face, knocking him several feet backward.  As the man tried to recover, Lucifer strode up and flung him easily into the first crook.

The leader of the robbers fired at Lucifer, who snatched the gun out of his hand and tossed it to one side.  Gripping him by his shirt, the fallen angel lifted the whimpering robber over his head with one hand.

“You -- you said we had a deal!  You said you’d give us millions if we traded you for the girl --”

A mocking laugh burst from Lucifer’s lips.  “I never said I’d give you millions -- I said I was worth millions.  It’s entirely different.”  He lobbed the man into the air, watching with satisfaction as he crashed into his two cohorts.

Sorkin pulled out his sidearm and emptied the entire clip into Lucifer, who merely cocked his head in amusement and approached him.  Letting his eyes flare red, the Devil slapped the gun out of the detective’s hand, then grabbed fistfuls of his shirt to bring the man’s face close to his.  

“You’ve been bad, Jackie boy.  Very, very bad.  Here you are -- a law enforcement officer -- hiring thugs to steal and quite possibly murder on your behalf.  Not only that, you threatened my partner and her daughter.  All for a little cash....”  With a macabre grin, Lucifer let his human visage recede, feeling satisfaction as the detective suddenly started blubbering at the sight.  “You and your thugs deserve some punishment -- and I am going to give it to you....”

________________________________________

When Lucifer heard the wail of police sirens, he stopped torturing Sorkin.  He had taken care of the robbers when they had awoken, knocking them unconscious and making a dogpile of them in the middle of the lot.  They wouldn’t remember anything other than getting tossed about like dolls by Lucifer.  The detective, though -- he was another kettle of fish. The fallen angel highly doubted that the man would ever be able to lead a normal life again.

And that no more than what Sorkin deserved.  Foolish human, threatening his detective!  She was his... his --

His what?  He didn’t know.  Bloody hell, he just didn’t know anything anymore.  

Rubbing his forehead, he watched as six patrol cars came racing up to the lot and officers poured out of them.  Chloe was with them, of course -- warmth filled Lucifer at the sight of his fine partner.  As the other officers went to the robber dogpile and began handcuffing the men, she walked right up to him with the light of battle burning in her aqua eyes.

Lucifer broke out into a grin at the sight of her.  Oh, she was so beautiful as she stood right in front of him, with such a serious expression!  He felt his insides burn with arousal.   How he wanted to lay her on the ground and have sex with her...!

And then her hands were running all over him.  Oooh, this was nice!  Goodness, she was frisky!  Wait, why was she looking him over?  Then it hit him -- she was checking for injuries.  That depressed him just a bit, but he rebounded quickly.  Surely this meant she had been worried?  Maybe she would kiss him...?  His heart started pounding and his breaths grew short.  Oh, if she kissed him, it would be the perfect end to his day --

Pain exploded in his face as her fist connected with his eye.  

“Bloody hell, Detective!”

“Goddamn it, Lucifer!  What the hell were you thinking?!  You could have been killed!”

And then his arms were filled with Chloe as she hugged him hard, burying her head against his chest.  He stood there, unsure of what to do.  Embrace her?  Pat her awkwardly on the back?  Stand there like a prat and wonder what to do?  Quite frankly, he was completely flummoxed, having absolutely no experience with a woman who possessed such extreme mood swings.  But... maybe... she’d give him a kiss?

Too soon she pulled out of his arms and marched away.

He didn’t understand.  Was she happy?  Mad?  Both?  “Detective --” he called out, but she turned on her heel and glared at him.  If looks could kill, he would have been incinerated on the spot.

“Don’t talk to me right now, Lucifer.  Not.  Right.  Now.”  With that, she went to help with the arrests.

Lucifer stood where she left him in the empty lot, surrounded by police officers working the scene, feeling completely lost and alone.

“But... kiss...?”

________________________________________

The next morning, Lucifer sat at his piano and plunked out a mournful tune with one hand.  When he had gotten up, he’d checked his phone, only to see that he had absolutely no messages from Chloe.  Depression swamped him.  She was still mad, he was sure of it.  Why couldn’t he ever do anything right?  Of course, when faced with the same circumstances, he’d make the same choices, for no one threatened his detective --

His detective?

He laughed mirthlessly. She was his just as much as he belonged with Dad up in Heaven.  Even if there had been some chance that she might have had... feelings for him, he had completely ruined that now, hadn’t he?  Slamming his hand down on the piano keys with a crash, he shook his head and called himself a fool.  He was the Devil... he wasn’t supposed to have any bloody feelings at all.  So why did he...?!

Rubbing the back of his neck, he wondered how Chloe was doing.  Today they had planned to check out the new house for their pets, since Weaponizer’s pool was nearing completion, but now....  He doubted after the events of the night before that she’d want anything to do with him.  A sad sigh rattled through him.

The soft ding of the elevator interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up to see the doors slide open.  Chloe stood there, looking radiant in her white flannel shirt and jeans.  Even simply dressed, she was stunning.  His mouth fell open, partly from her beauty, but mostly from shock.  Why was she here?

Panic flared within him.  Was she here to give him another wallop?  He cringed at the thought.  Chloe had a nasty right hook....

“Hey,” she greeted as she walked up to the piano.

He closed his mouth with a snap and struggled to regain his composure.  “Here to punch me in the face again?” he asked dryly.

She gave him a crooked smile.  “God knows you deserve it.”

Lucifer sighed.  “I’m sure he’d happily assist you -- the bastard.”

Chloe chuckled as she slid onto the bench next to him.

What was she doing?  He gaped, at a loss for words.  When he finally found his tongue, all he could get out was, “Detective --”

For a long time she sat quietly beside him, until he thought she wouldn’t say anything.  Was she still angry at him?  She must have been, else why would she be so silent?  Finally, she spoke.

“You scare me sometimes.”

Well, that wasn’t what he expected to hear.  But... of course she was afraid -- he was the Devil, after all.  A gut-wrenching sadness filled him, twisting his stomach and tightening his chest.   ”Right.  I should get out of your life --”

Her head turned sharply at that.  “What?  Why?”

He blinked.  “You’re afraid of me --”

“I’m not afraid of you!”

“But you just said --”

She sighed heavily and shook her head.  “I said you scare me, Lucifer -- I’m afraid for you.  You are so damned hell-bent on getting yourself killed.”  She turned to look at him, her aqua eyes puzzled as they bored into his.  “Why?”

“W-why?”

“Yes.  Why?  First Barnes, then the shark, and now this.  You’re throwing yourself into these dangerous situations where you could easily get killed --”

Lucifer gave an easy laugh.  “Believe me, Detective, there was no danger.  I’m immortal --”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed and her voice became harsh.  “That’s a load of crap and you know it.  You could have been killed, and it’s just by the luck of the draw that you haven’t been -- yet.  Why do you do it?  Do you have some kind of death wish or something?”

Laughing a bit self-consciously, he rubbed the back of his neck.  “Trust me, Detective, I do not have a death wish.”

“Then why?”

For a moment he said nothing, keeping his eyes on the piano.  How could he say that it was for her -- all for her?  She would think he was a bloody prat, but it was the truth.  He would do anything for her, even die, just to keep her safe.  Well, he had died....  She was his sunshine, the light in the black void of his life, his everything.  Lucifer blinked at that realization.  He didn’t understand what that meant, or why excitement was struggling to explode from his soul, but he knew he couldn’t -- wouldn’t -- tell her.  She would scoff, or -- worse yet -- laugh, and he wouldn’t be able to handle that.

“Does it really matter, Detective?  It all worked out for the best.  How is your little human, by the way?”

She scowled as he changed the subject, but she let him get away with it.  “She’s doing okay.  I left her with Maze so that I could come see you.  Trixie was pretty scared after the attack.  It brought back bad memories of Malcolm....  But I let her sleep in my bed last night, and she seemed much better this morning when she played with the animals.”

Lucifer chuckled.  “Right.  Weaponizer and his ninny ways probably did the trick -- that bloody penguin has a way with people.”

Chloe slanted a glance at him.  “He is one hell of a penguin -- just like you.”

He lifted an eyebrow at her, not sure if he should be insulted.  “I’m a penguin?”

Laughing, she nudged him playfully on the shoulder.  “Well, sometimes you do act like a stuffed toy penguin, but no.  You know what I mean.  You’re one hell of a guy.  And I....”

As she broke off, he tilted his head at her encouragingly, hoping she would continue speaking her thoughts.  “You’re...?”

She was silent for a moment, her soft eyes caressing his face with just a glance.  “I’m proud to have you as my partner,” she finally said.  

Lucifer frowned.  Was that how she saw him?  Only as a partner?  Nothing... more?  His heart sank as an emptiness invaded his soul, chilling him to the bone.

“Right.  Well --” he began, but she stunned him into silence when she leaned her head on his shoulder and linked her arm in his.  He jumped from surprise at the contact.  “Detective...?”

“Thank you for saving us all last night.  I’m sorry I didn’t say it earlier, but you scared me -- badly.”

“You... you aren’t angry anymore?”

“No.”  She chuckled.  “I was mad because you put yourself in danger and I couldn’t stop you.”  Gazing up at him with some emotion that the fallen angel could not discern, she said, “Lucifer, I... I....”

A tender expression touched his face at her words as warmth filled his chest.  “Yes?”

“I really don’t want to lose you.”  Her voice was so soft that he almost missed hearing her words.  “You mean a lot to me.”

She didn’t want to lose him?  He... he meant a lot to her?  Oh that sounded promising!  But wait -- did she mean as a partner or something more than that?   Which was it?  He blinked as his insides tumbled about and his head spun.  Unable to think clearly, he was completely caught off-guard when she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Lucifer gawked at her.  She had kissed him!  He nearly did backflips at that very moment.  His heart felt like it was going to explode from joy as heat raced up his neck and into his face, blistering his cheeks.  He couldn’t even speak, he was so stunned.

She smiled tenderly.  “You’re a good man.”  Then she squinted at him and grinned.  “Are you blushing?”

“What?  No!”  More heat rushed into his cheeks until he thought his face would burst into flames.  “The Devil does not blush!”

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing look.  “Uh huh.  Sure.”

Before he could even move, she rose to her feet and walked toward the elevator.  After hitting the call button, she turned and looked back at him.  “I know you must be tired from last night, but please come over when you feel up to it.  We can knit on the couch for a while, or go shopping, if you like.”  Her eyes were gentle as she gazed at him.  “We have a penguin’s house to furnish, after all.”

For a moment Lucifer just sat there as a deluge of euphoria flooded him. She wanted to spend time with him!  Surely this must mean she felt something for him...?  This must have been how Weaponizer felt when he had first caught sight of Findus -- as if some missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle that was his life had finally snapped into place.  Upon seeing the elevator doors closing behind his partner, he yelled, “Hold the lift!”

Leaping to his feet, he ran -- no strode, for the Devil never ran -- to the elevator and entered the car, smiling down at Chloe.  Offering her his arm, his insides danced to a happy beat when she took it and beamed at him.  Lucifer felt on top of the world, for he had his detective, and had gotten his kiss. True, the kiss had been just a peck on the cheek, but surely, given time, she’d kiss him on the lips...? And then... sex?  Perhaps?  Ah, the possibilities were endless!

The Devil grinned as the elevator doors closed behind them.  Life was good... nay, great.