SOME KIND OF HEAVEN ↝ Mazikeen

↳ TWENTY

          "I know you're out there Mr. Sniper!", he yelled out, eyes scanning the surroundings as he shielded the woman — Sally Peterson — crouching behind him in utter fear. "Shoot me!"

          Izzy wasn't quite sure whether it was ultimately the duty to protect the target or the desire to protect Lucifer, but acting in the heat of the moment, she followed the man's lead and found a place in front of him, setting herself in the line of fire. "Ma'am, please remain calm and still", she instructed Mrs. Peterson, her arms reaching out for her, but from somewhere above, the sniper took his shot and a bullet ended up piercing the coffee cart, making both of them jump at the incoming attack. In conclusion, getting her out was a risk she could not take, so all she could do was wait for Chloe or Dan to get the shooter, all the while putting her own life in danger solely to protect the civilian and her friend.

         Both horrified and amazed by her actions, Lucifer looked down at Izzy with wide eyes and parted lips. "Ms. Holt—", he started, but Isadora didn't let him finish when she had already snapped her eyes up to him and sent a glare his way — however, it wasn't as angry as it came across.

          "Don't you Ms. Holt me. My friends call me Izzy, and you are my friend. One of the greatest I've had in a long time, so if you think I'm just gonna stand aside and watch you suffer alone, you sir, are very mistaken", she shook her head while her arms remained by Lucifer's sides to also reach out for the woman behind him. As another shot rang through the building, landing right next to them, Izzy inhaled sharply but let the stare in her eyes soften into something more caring, and it didn't take a detective to understand that she wasn't talking about only the current situation. "Lucifer, if you don't want to tell me what happened, that's okay. I don't want to push you, but you gotta stop pushing me away, too. You were right, I am trying to solve everyone else's problems and neglecting my own, but that's not only because of myself. I do care, in case it wasn't obvious already", she forced out a laugh, trying to act like she wasn't about to die, and all Lucifer could do was stare at her, blank and speechless.

          It became suspiciously quiet then, until Chloe spoke from one of the floors above them, "I got him! It's over", her voice relieved, and the same kind of relaxation instantly flooded into Izzy's tense shoulders.

         With her hand, she guided Mrs. Peterson from behind Lucifer's back, but before she led her away, she turned to him one last time with a sad smile on her lips. "Talk to someone, please. And just know, that whatever you did, it's not unforgivable, and you are not a bad person", Isadora insisted, feeling like it was an important reminder, before guiding Sally Peterson to safety with gentle arms and reassuring words.

         And all she could do was take her own advice and truly hope that Lucifer believed her.

—————

         THE DAY WAS coming to an end after Izzy had stopped by the Espinoza household to check up on Benjamin and also alert him of what had gone down with Lucifer, and with her and a bunch of other officers now packing their bags, the police department was emptying out one by one. Even with coffee flowing through her veins, Izzy was barely standing after such a tiring day, but she and Chloe were yet to stop by The Paddock, which she was, surprisingly, excited to see for the first time ever — and spending time with Detective Decker didn't sound half-bad, either.

          "You ready?", Chloe arrived from her own desk to Isadora, who was packing her stuff in the kitchen, and lifting her head, the deputy nodded as a response.

          "Yup, let's go", she smiled, one of the more genuine ones this time — frankly, all the stress and pressure was kind of getting to her, which was why she was happy to have a beer, sit back and talk about her worries with Chloe. Not to mention she had just hours ago stood at gunpoint, at the mercy of a very skilled sniper, and that alone was good enough of an excuse to get a drink or two.