Adventures in Urchin Rearing: an Iris One-Shot Collection

~~Uncomfortable Truths~~

Lucifer knocked wearily at the bathroom door, calling out, "Miss Lopez, please open up."

"Go away!" Ella called back from the other side 

He rolled his eyes and grumbled, his fist tightening as it rested against the door. "Miss Lopez!" 

Chloe, sensing his increasing agitation, put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and tried, "Ella, please talk to us. We know how difficult this must be for you; we're your friends!"

Lucifer sighed and quietly grumbled, "I'm going to open the door."

"No!" Chloe whispered harshly, her eyes and voice like steel, "You doing your lock-mojo is just going to freak her out even more. Believe me, Lucifer, this is something she needs to come to us about. We can't just force-"

Chloe paused when, finally, the lock on the inside of the bathroom door clicked. Slowly, Ella opened the door, revealing her, still in her cobalt dress from the wedding. Her eye makeup was smeared and running around her blood-shot eyes. Margaret, her bathtub chicken, was tucked underneath one arm. 

Ella glared at Lucifer and yelled, "Okay. You want to talk? You claim you don't lie, so come on, Lucifer! Tell me how you can see the ghost that's haunted me since childhood."

Lucifer took a deep breath as he gulped. For a moment, he looked over his shoulder at Azrael, who was pacing anxiously in Ella's living room. Then he looked back at Ella, knowing that there was no turning back now.

Ella Lopez was about to find out the truth.

Three hours earlier...

Chloe's and Lucifer's wedding reception took place on the same beach as their wedding. Following the ceremony, a DJ, buffet table, and open bar were set up. The sun was setting now, casting the sky into brilliant hues of orange, pink, red, and purple. Even after living there for years, the L.A. sunset never ceased to amaze anyone, except maybe Maze, who was much more fascinated with catching up with Eve to notice much else.

Lucifer and Chloe had finished their first dance as husband and wife, a few of their friends made speeches, and many pictures were taken.

After all of that, Chloe had a little surprise for her new husband. Finding the courage at the bottom of a shot of vodka, Chloe walked up to the DJ booth and took the mic he offered her. 

"Excuse me everyone, hi!" She smiled, then continued, "Um, as you probably know, normally at weddings, there is a traditional father/daughter dance. Unfortunately, my dad, well, he can't be here. But...I don't think that should stop us. So, I would like to invite Lucifer and our daughter, Iris, onto the dance floor for their first father/daughter dance.

Lucifer's eyes widened at Chloe's invitation, but he quickly accepted. Iris was just a few feet away, playing with Charlie. 

He knelt down next to her, taking her very small hand in his, and asked, "Bullet, would you like to come dance with me?"

Iris's head snapped up and she eagerly nodded.

Lucifer nodded his head toward the dance floor, taking Iris by the hand, and walked her out to the center of the cleared space.

Once there, he lifted Iris up on his hip, seeing as she was quite significantly shorter than he was. With one arm underneath her rear, he held her left hand in his right.