Evermore (Devil's ʻĀnela) [ON HOLD]

XXIII

"You can't kill her, Mom," Amenadiel said.

"Well, of course I can," Goddess replied. "I just press this button."

"Mom, please give me the detonator."

"No. This little bug is the main reason that Lucifer doesn't want to go home. Squash her, squash them both, problem solved."

"Are you really gonna make me force it away from you?

"Trust me, you don't want to do that."

"But I can't let you kill Chloe or Leilani, Mom." He grunted as he was attacked. "Since when can you--"

"I tried to warn you. Apparently paltry human flesh can't contain my divinity. Oh, here we go. Bomb's in the car. So exciting." She giggled.

"Mom, stop! I am trying to help you. I know Lucifer better than he knows himself and if you kill Chloe or Leilani, he won't rest until he finds out who did it and when he does, Mom, he will hate you forever."

"Come on. Two little humans can't mean more to him than his family."

"He killed Uriel to protect them."

"What's so damn special about those two? Especially the deputy."

"That I don't know. But, Mom, the bottom line is if we want Luci to go home, then we need to make sure that it's his decision to leave Chloe and Leilani behind."

She handed him the detonator and frowned. "Well, that was anticlimactic." She groaned and shouted. "So, I need to find a more subtle way to end Lucifer's silly crush."

LINDA'S OFFICE

Linda sighed. "Tell me everything."

"Well, there's nothing to say, really," Lucifer replied.

"You had a date with Lani. That's a big deal, Lucifer. I want to hear about it. I need to hear about it. You know, as your therapist."

"Well, for one, I wouldn't say it was a big deal and it wasn't a date, just more like a snack, actually, between friends."

"Oh, how was the food? I've heard their branzino is amazing."

"Well, yeah, it's hard to say, really."

"Too caught up in the moment to notice?"

"Caught up, in-in a way, yes."

"You chickened out, didn't you?"

Lucifer laughed. "What? I'm the Devil, Doctor. I don't chicken out. I just simply thought that she should enjoy the food without any distractions."

"Listen, you know, I get it. Our last breakthrough spooked you and now you're running scared."

"I don't "run scared" any more than I "chicken"." He chuckled.

"Not literally. But you're avoiding the truth. Also known as lying."

"That I know I don't do ever."

"But yet you are lying, Lucifer," he laughed, "to yourself."

APARTMENT

"I owe you an explanation," Lucifer said.

Lani crossed her arms. "Really? Why? Was it for leaving me all alone at a restaurant so the busboy could give me pitiful glances all night? I know what your explanation is and I don't want to know her name, especially not today."

"Actually, Deputy, that isn't what I was going to say, I--"

Chloe cut him off. "Look, Lucifer, we don't have time for this. We were just on our way out."